Book of Beginnings
by miano53
Summary: Kingdom Hearts, a place spoken of in many legends, is said to be a place that is an absolute paradise and is the holy realm of the Goddess. But it is also said that it holds a great darkness at bay. I've also heard of legends that state that opening the gates to said realm will bring everything into nothingness. But which is the truth? Why so many contradictions? -Ansem the Wise AU
1. Author's Note

_Author's Note_

_Well, here's the truly revised first book, Book of Beginnings. I tried to make it more akin to the events of the second book and the scrapped third book, Book of Lost Stories. It will, hopefully, make more connections to what happened and prevent confusion._

_I also changed dialogue in several parts in the story as well as character entrances. But the story is still relatively the same: Kairi being thrown into conflicts she didn't want to be in._

_And yes, the story is a mix of ideas from Northern Lights (or Golden Compass for those who saw the movie first, then heard about the book), Dragon Quest VIII, the many Final Fantasies, Disney, Once Upon a Time and whatever else I managed to put in the first book. _

_Needless to say, __**I own nothing**__._

_So, now that the changes are made here, I'll start with Book of Memories._

_That book will have a lot of changes as parts of it didn't make any sense when I thought about it. And many characters weren't in character. So, those changes will take a while. _

_Also, thanks to everyone who originally reviewed this story when I first published it in 2011. Now that it's 2014, I don't know if this revised version will get any reviews, but thanks anyway in advance._

_-miano53_


	2. Prologue

_Prologue_

_Kingdom Hearts._

_Some say that it is only in legends._

_Others say that the place is as real as anyone or anything._

_There are legends that state that Kingdom Hearts is a paradise that will bring prosperity to those who find it._

_Another of those legends state that the place is nothing but a hellhole, designed to hold a great darkness at bay._

_The last of the legends state that whoever finds Kingdom Hearts will only send the world into a state of nothingness._

_Due to these legends, many people began searching for the door that could lead them to the place of legend._

_The ruling power believed that anyone who found Kingdom Hearts would send the whole world to a state of nothingness and, wanting to keep the truth about it from the people, began silencing and hunting those who sought it out._

_By the time the ruling power could find them, it was too late as the people, Keyblade masters and wielders, began fighting one another for the door._

_The series of world wars disturbed the balance of light and darkness, opening the door thought to be Kingdom Hearts. Darkness was released from that void, covering all of existence in it._

_The Creator saw this and instead of letting the darkness overtake the people, She allowed it to do this one thing: rend the people's hearts and souls from their bodies and allowing the two factors to live outside of their hosts' bodies as animal spirits called "__**Anima"**_

_The Anima helped slowly bring the world out of darkness, but it was fractured into seven parts. The ruling power, trapped in the first of the new worlds and fearing another war, forbade the mention of "the Keyblade, Pure Light and Kingdom Hearts," much to the chagrin of those who survived the destruction of the old world._

_For the past 3,000 years, the people have lived in peace. The peace, seemingly everlasting, has been shattered with a certain prophetic word from 2100 years before…_


	3. Chapter One: The Act of Heresy

"_In the year of…the Keys will appear again. This time, in the hands of the young. These new key bearers will search for Kingdom Hearts and when they find it,…will fill the world._

_The world shall be…and our sins of the past…. So, do not…the key bearers. They shall lead this world into an age of…and …."_

_-Written by the prophet Yen…before he died in 1008._

Chapter One: The Act of Heresy

_A little red-haired girl woke up from her sleep and jumped out of bed as she heard noises outside of her room. She listened and heard a woman speaking with her uncle about something or another. The girl opened the door, headed down the small hallway and arrived in the living room. There, she saw a woman with dark red hair just like hers standing near her blonde haired uncle. With a bit of fear, she asked, _"_Unca Ansem, who's that?"_

_Ansem turned to her with his sad, hazel eyes and said, "Kairi…this is…" _

_Recognizing the woman from old photographs, Kairi muttered, _"_Mommy?" _

_Her mother, a woman named Aiko Hasegawa, started crying and nodded her head._

"_Mommy!" Kairi exclaimed, running up to the woman and hugging her._

"_Yes, I'm 'Mommy'. How did you know?" Aiko asked._

"_Unca Ansem lets me see a picture of you and daddy," Kairi replied._

_Aiko smiled and took off her necklace of a tear-shaped charm. She then said, "Kairi. Here you go."_

_She placed it around her neck and added, "This is from me to you. Every time you look at it, just remember that I'm watching over you and protecting you. No matter how far we are, our hearts are connected. This necklace will remind you of that."_

_Kairi smiled and exclaimed, "Thank you!" _

_Aiko hugged Kairi again and put the little girl to bed. Before she fell asleep, the girl heard her mother say to Ansem, "Keep watch over her as best as you can. They're looking for her."_

"_I will. The Farron family agreed to guard her with their lives and so has the College...after the Oerba clan…died in that horrific Heartless attack last year. Master Eraqus is more than willing to keep her here to protect her," she heard Ansem tell her._

"_Thank you…brother. I don't think…we'll see each other again…So, tell her that…" Aiko started._

"_Don't say that. We will see each other again. Just keep yourself safe and Kairi and I will do the same," Ansem told her._

* * *

_Thursday, May 5__th__, 3108 N.W.T. (New World Time), 1 p.m.…_

"Kairi. Kairi! Kairi Hasegawa!"

Kairi, now 15 years old and in the white and dark blue uniform of Departure College, woke up as her name was repeatedly called. She looked to the front of the small classroom and saw her teacher, Headmaster Eraqus Torino, looking at her with a stern glare. He stood near the chalkboard and had apparently stopped his lecture. His _Anima _of a silver owl, named Lucien, stared at her as well, embarrassing her.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked.

The others in the class of 20 stared at her and Kairi sunk down in her chair. Her fuchsia-haired friend and guardian, Serah Farron, smirked at her. Serah's blonde-haired boyfriend of the same age and another of Kairi's guardians, Snow Villiers, began laughing. His _Anima _of a terrier dog shook his head in pity.

Kairi was even more embarrassed and placed her head on her desk.

"Y-yes, Master Eraqus," Kairi's hamster _Anima,_ named Naminé, said.

"Next time, do not sleep and snore during my lectures," Master Eraqus told her.

"Y-Yes sir," Kairi stammered, trying not to get in trouble.

The older, raven haired man continued with his lecture on the world's history and said, "It is said that over 3,000 years ago, there was no _Anima_ and no Heartless. The world was much more populated and technologically advanced than it is now."

"Wait, what do you mean?" a student asked.

"Yeah, we have stuff like airships and crystal-powered regular ships," another student said.

Master Eraqus cleared his throat and the class fell silent.

"As I was saying…" he started.

The headmaster pulled down the projection screen above the chalkboard and one of the students turned off the lights. A projector was activated and a map of the world appeared on the screen.

"Our world consists of five continents and each had different technologies during what we call the 'Old World Era'. The first of the continents is the location of the Sanctum, the central continent Cocoon. Despite it being located in the Central Ocean, airships, visual aids known as 'spheres', telephones and many other useful items for our ancestors was invented there. When the old world was destroyed, those technologies and knowledge on how to make them were lost."

"The second and third continents of Spira and Gaia provided everything that we use now. Spira, located in the northwestern sector of the world, provided the crystal-powered ships and recording devices we use today. Gaia, located south of Spira and separated by the Naldoan Sea, created the many weapons that the Radiantan Empire use as well as convenience devices such as oscillating fans and televisions."

"The fourth and fifth continents of Saronia and Eden provided what was used immediately after the world recovered from its Dark Age, but most fell into disuse after the Radiantan Empire came to be. Saronia, located in the northeastern sector of the world created weapons such as swords and spears to aid in defending against the dark creatures known the world over as 'Heartless'. South of Saronia is Eden and they developed the magic that we use today. The people there also creature the idea of crystal-powered lamps and the road systems used around the world."

"Despite these many accomplishments, the old world had many more technological wonders than we can phantom. But, the empire has made attempts to provide the world with the new technologies constantly being developed within," Master Eraqus explained.

Serah raised her hand and asked, "So, is that why the empire keeps invading places?"

"Yeah! Shouldn't they just sell their inventions, not take over areas and then give them what we have here?" another student questioned.

The bell rang and Master Eraqus said, "That is all for today. Now, I will not have office hours today as I have to go to a meeting. You're dismissed."

* * *

_Later…_

Kairi walked out of the classroom and into the halls, but was stopped by Serah and Snow.

Serah, in worry, asked, "Why were you asleep in class?"

"I don't know. But, at least Master Eraqus didn't scold me," Kairi said.

Serah's _Anima_ of a small cat named Nora walked over and said, "Well, at least she didn't talk in her sleep this time."

"Hey!" Naminé yelled.

"What? It's the truth!" Nora yelled.

Kairi rolled her eyes and Snow asked her, "Are you going to practice with us?"

His _Anima_ named Orion told her, "We're just going to spar today. Nothing special. Snow just wants to hang out, 'cause he's bored."

"Hey!" Snow yelled.

Remembering that her uncle had wanted her to be proficient in the rapier, Kairi agreed to and shocked the teen boy.

"Really?" Snow asked.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to log every week on what I do and my uncle wants me to learn how to fight. I don't know why. We're at this little college in the empire. So…" Kairi replied.

Serah smiled and told her, "Well, if push comes to shove, we'll protect you."

"Yep. That's our job as guardians," Snow added.

The trio started walking towards the College's courtyard and Kairi began thinking of her uncle. Her thoughts then shifted to her having guardians, but not knowing why. The trio returned to their rooms and gathered their things for the sparring session. After doing so, they headed outside and into the courtyard.

Once there, Kairi opened a case that held her rapier, a weapon from the lost nation of Francisca. Snow, wearing an armored jacket, stood five near Serah, who wielded a bow that converted to a sword if needed. Their _Anima _sat far from the sparring trio, but not too far to prevent their hosts' from reacting in pain.

Kairi readied herself in her fencer's stance and Snow said, "Okay. Remember what happened last time."

"I know. I know. I won't trip and nearly cut your neck instead of the monster's like last time," the teen said.

Serah turned on a device and a dark creature appeared. It looked like a humanoid ant and its antennae flickered about. Kairi remembered it name, a Heartless called a Shadow. The Shadow lunged at Snow and he easily dodged the attack. He retaliated with three kicks and it was defeated.

"Yay!" Namine cheered.

"Not yet," Kairi said.

Two Shadows appeared after the first's defeat and Serah shot down the first of them. The second lunged at Kairi and she smoothly stepped out of the way. She then used her rapier to poke at the Shadow's head and stomach. The teen then finished with a twirling slash, cutting the dark monster in two.

With the defeat of that group of Heartless, another group of Shadows appeared. Now a trio, the Heartless attacked Kairi's group. Snow back flipped out of the way of one and yelled, "Need ice!"

A shard of ice appeared in his right hand and he threw it like a dart. The icicle dirk stabbed the creature, killing it instantly.

Serah shot thrice at her enemy and followed it up with a Protect spell. The wall of light surrounded the three, reducing damage. Kairi was about to attack the last of the foes when the air suddenly became cold, making her shiver. A giant iceberg appeared, freezing the final Heartless and nearly hitting Kairi.

The iceberg was destroyed and the Shadow disappeared. Kairi looked to Snow and he shook his head.

"I didn't do that. That was third-tier ice magic: Blizzaga. I don't know that," he said.

Kairi looked at Serah and she told her, "I only know White Magic and first-tier light magic."

"I did it."

The group saw a blonde haired man wearing a suit of black approach them. Black gloves and shoes covered his hands and feet. His green eyes looked over the trio and his _Anima_ of a cobra slithered about, unnerving Kairi. Their _Anima _rushed back to their side and the man said, "I am Lord Vexen Frio from the capital. I am here to speak with Master Torino."

"Oh…He's in his office. Go that way," Serah said, pointing him in the direction of the man's office.

Lord Vexen thanked her and asked, "Why were Heartless here? They usually don't appear in populated areas."

"Oh…Uh...That was a projection. Master Ansem Hasegawa made it for the students to train..." Serah explained.

Snow looked at the destroyed projector and sighed, "And you managed to break it…"

"I am sorry. The damages will be paid in full. Now, if you excuse me…" Lord Vexen said.

He picked up his cobra _Anima_ and left the courtyard. Once he was gone, Kairi stopped shivering. Snow and Serah noticed and she immediately told them, "I'm fine."

The group put their weapons away and began cleaning their space in the courtyard. As they did, Kairi couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen. Suspicious of the newcomer, she decided to follow Lord Vexen.

* * *

_Departure College, halls…_

Kairi walked through the halls of the massive castle and passed the many rooms of the campus. The college itself was rather easy to get lost in as it had four floors and over 400 rooms. The interior of the place was of wood and stone, making the castle quite cold at times. Portraits of former teachers, accomplished students and headmasters were on the walls to remind everyone of those who came before them. After arriving in the eastern wing of the castle, Kairi found Master Eraqus's office.

The office of the headmaster was rather large, allowing for a long table able to seat ten people and his own private desk on the far side of the room. A wardrobe, bookshelves and lamps lined the walls. On the walls were several maps of the world, each from a different era. To her surprise, the headmaster and noble weren't there.

"Huh," the teen said, a bit confused.

She closed the door behind her saw Naminé shift her form. Now a small bluebird, the _Anima_ flew over to a projector. Kairi followed over to see what Naminé was doing.

"What's this?" she asked, looking at the spherical object on it.

"I don't know. It looks like some…kind of video," Kairi told her.

Before the two could investigate any further, the sound of someone walking towards the room was heard. Kairi bolted straight into the office's wardrobe and closed the door, with Naminé following closely behind. Inside, Kairi and Naminé looked through a small window and saw Master Eraqus enter with Lord Vexen.

"As headmaster of the Departure College within the empire, you must force him to abandon his plan. We cannot have a repeat of what happened those many years ago. I speak for His Imperial Majesty and also His Eminence, Primarch Dysley. His search for that realm will awaken a destructive creature that we thought existed only in legend. I know he wishes to fulfill his curiosity, but…" Lord Vexen said.

"I know. But while he's on this campus, the College, not the Sanctum or empire, will decide on whether or not his journey will be too dangerous," Master Eraqus sternly said.

His _Anima_ perched onto a nearby chair while his host continued.

"Just because they fear the finding of that realm doesn't mean that everyone else does. And who says that finding it will awaken that creature? As I recall, the _opening_ of that realm and massive amounts needless deaths can awaken it…and Sanctum's rounding up of the nomads of this world is…" Master Eraqus told him.

"Yes, but the nomads are a people that profane the Goddess. What Sanctum is doing is keeping nations of Her planet holy," Lord Vexen said.

Much to Kairi's fear, Master Eraqus opened the wardrobe to get his jacket out. To her surprise, he didn't notice her or Naminé. He closed the door, put on his formal black and red jacket and glared at the man.

"Are you sure, Lord Vexen? I believe that your loyalties are to be with the empire, not a religious organization and their crazed leader. Now, if you allow me, I shall call the College's Board of Directors to order," he told him.

Master Eraqus left, leaving the strange man in the room. Lord Vexen looked around and allowed his cobra _Anima _to slither onto the table. He then opened the bottle and grabbed his _Anima. _The _Anima _latched its mouth onto the spout of the bottle and began squirting poison into the wine.

After he was finished, Lord Vexen wiped the top of the bottle off with a napkin, closed the bottle and shook it up. When that was done, the man threw away the napkin, picked up his _Anima _and left the room as if nothing had happened.

Noticing that he was gone, Naminé said to Kairi, "He's leaving. C'mon, Kairi, let's go."

Kairi said nothing as she was frightened about what was to come. Hearing growling, Naminé and Kairi looked through the window and to the door. An older male lion had entered the room and due to the faint aura she saw, Kairi knew who the _Anima _belonged to_. _Her 50-year-old uncle, Lord Ansem Hasegawa, enter the room with one of the staff.

The servant told him, "Master Eraqus told me to bring out our bottle of '98 'Valencia', Lord Ansem. He said it's your favorite."

Lord Ansem turned to him and said, "Thank you."

The servant quickly left and Lord Ansem sat down at the table. Opening up the bottle, he sniffed it happily and grabbed himself a wine glass. After pouring, he brought it to his lips and nearly drunk it when Kairi ran out of the wardrobe, smacking the glass out of his hand.

Angered, he grabbed her arm and yelled, "What the…? Kairi!"

"It's poisoned!" she yelled.

"Nonsense!" Lord Ansem yelled.

"It's true! I was following this guy from the capital that was looking for Master Eraqus since he looked suspicious. Then, I hid in here and saw him use his _Anima _to squirt some poison into the wine! He was trying to kill you because he said that you were looking for something that was bad!" Kairi yelled.

Seemingly shocked, Lord Ansem told her, "Go back in there and keep your mouth shut."

Kairi, disappointed in not being thanked, walked back into the wardrobe and slammed the door. Hearing voices coming, Lord Ansem stood up and saw the members of the Board enter the room with Lord Vexen. The noble looked at him in confusion, as if wondering why he didn't drop dead.

Master Eraqus greeted Lord Ansem with, "Ah. Lord Ansem Hasegawa. I would like to introduce to you Lord Vexen Frio from the empire's Science Department. He has also done work with the Sanctum. Lord Vexen, this is Lord Ansem Hasegawa, or 'Ansem the Wise', a scholar among the many here."

Lord Vexen bowed to him and said, "It is nice to meet you, Lord Ansem. On orders from the emperor, I've been following your exploits…very _closely,_ milord."

Kairi's uncle said nothing, but smirked as if he challenged the emperor's authority.

"Gentlemen and women, I shall get straight to the point, so turn off the lights, please," Lord Ansem ordered.

A servant quickly turned off the light and Lord Ansem turned on the projector.

Removing the sphere in the projector and replacing it with another one, he said, "This was found near the North Pole, in Zanarkand, the Lost City of the Dead."

An image of a group of people wearing ancient battle attire and their _Anima _appeared on the screen. Particles of bright blue light came down from the sky and looked as if it was flowing through the _Anima _and into the people. The people looked around the destroyed city in sorrow and the scene felt…familiar to Kairi.

'But…why? That video looks old…And I've never been to Zanarkand,' Kairi thought.

Confused, a staff member asked, "Sir? Is that aura coming from the people's bodies or coming down from the sky?"

"Ah, it's coming down from the sky, but that's not your typical aura of light," Lord Ansem stated.

He paused and added, "It's Pure Light."

"Pure Light?!" the audience of staff members exclaimed.

Not impressed, Lord Vexen said, "Quiet everyone and let Lord Ansem the Wise explain himself. It could be an aberration or a malfunction of some kind. The images are quite ancient."

"No, I've checked the footage many times. The behavior of these light particles is unmistakable. Pure Light flowed into those people and into their _Anima_ from something that can only hold that much Pure Light. It is my belief that the place where that light came from…is Kingdom Hearts," Lord Ansem stated.

"Kingdom Hearts?" everyone, minus Kairi and Lord Vexen, questioned.

"You're quite mistaken. Kingdom Hearts is nothing but an old legend that states that if its gates are opened, darkness unlike anything ever seen will be released and will destroy all life as we know it. What you are suggesting is heresy whose punishment is excommunication or execution," Lord Vexen told him.

"No. The Holy Mother's Realm is not a dark void. And that…is the truth," Ansem the Wise said harshly, grabbing the cork to the wine bottle and closing it.

Lord Vexen looked shocked that he seemingly had found out about his assassination attempt.

"I wouldn't recommend the 'Valencia' today, everyone. It's a bit sour," he added.

Continuing with his lecture, Master Ansem said, "To discover the true source of these particles, I intend to travel around the world and follow the faint paths of Pure Light. With a sufficient source of funds, I humbly beg the Board to fund my expedition."

Lord Vexen furiously wrote notes in a notepad. Much to his dismay, the Board of Directors voted to fund Ansem's proposal.

* * *

_Outside in the courtyard…_

Kairi headed outside to see that her uncle was yelling at Serah and Snow. The two said nothing and kept looking down at the ground.

"How could you let her out of your sight? She was _this _close into getting captured!" Lord Ansem yelled, using his hands to make an emphasis.

Not wanting the pair to receive such punishment, Kairi ran to her uncle. When she was close enough, she yelled, "It's not their fault! I told you what happened! That Vexen guy was suspicious and I was right!"

"And from the sound of it, her being there saved your life," Serah added.

Lord Ansem turned away, not wanting to admit it.

"Seriously, why did that Vexen guy try to poison you?" Snow asked.

"You three wouldn't understand," was all Lord Ansem said.

"I'm pretty sure we would," Kairi retorted.

"Well, I don't see why. Eraqus tells me that you three are nearly impossible to educate as you constantly sleep in class! You, Serah, keep passing notes to Snow and chew gum rather loudly in class! And you, Snow, keep skipping class," Ansem bellowed.

Kairi fell silent as she knew that she did disobey her uncle by not being with Serah and Snow at all times and that all three did have those bad habits. Breaking the awkward silence, she asked, "So, what will they do to you now?"

"Well, the empire and Sanctum's days are numbered," Ansem replied.

"Meaning?" Serah asked.

"Trouble…Lots of it," Ansem told her.

The trio was confused and Kairi hoped that she wouldn't be swept in something she couldn't get out of. Remembering about the proposal, Kairi asked him, "Did you get the money you needed? Are you going to travel…and leave me here…again?"

"Well, the Board has defied the Emperor and the Primarch…mostly the Primarch. I have to leave immediately," Ansem said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"Oh, can we come with you?" Serah asked.

"Yeah, I don't mind leaving this place behind. I'm bored," Snow said, stretching.

"Yeah! I want to see the mountains, jungles and learn about Pure Light and Kingdom Hearts!" Kairi exclaimed, hoping her uncle would take her from there and not leave her behind.

Lord Ansem yelled, "What do you know about 'Pure Light'?"

"Nothing," Kairi replied.

"Good. Keep it that way. Serah, Snow, make sure that she stays put and do as she's told," Lord Ansem ordered, lowering his voice.

Feeling as if he was a hypocrite, Kairi yelled, "Wait a minute! You don't do as you're told! And why do I have guardians to watch me every day?"

"Because look at the welcome I got!" Lord Ansem yelled back.

Hearing growling, Kairi looked down at Naminé and noticed that she was having a battle of dominance with Daichi. She quickly morphed from her hamster shape into her kitten form and began growling and hissing.

Calming herself and remembering what she heard about Pure Light, Kairi asked, "Naminé's shape shifting has to with Pure Light and Kingdom Hearts, right? Like how our family's _Anima_ can change shape, but everyone else…can't?"

Wanting to drop the subject, Lord Ansem the Wise looked directly in his niece's blue eyes and stated, "Kairi, don't ever talk about Pure Light or Kingdom Hearts. Serah and Snow, take her back to her room."

The older man then turned and, with Daichi, walked away from her.

Serah looked at Kairi and said, "C'mon. Let's go."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Lord Vexen, angrily walking back to his airship, began contacting someone via telephone. He huffed as he waited for the line to answer.

"Hello? Yes, it is just as you said, Jihl. Lord Ansem Hasegawa has been given funding for that sojourn around the world," he said.

Entering the aerial vessel, he added, "Yes, he intends to find Kingdom Hearts. This will destroy everything our ancestors worked for these past three millennia. Yes, yes, I did that and he still didn't die, as if he had an immunity to poison. Yes…yes. I know that! If he opens it, the creature will be untamable! Unstoppable! Un…I would if you imbeciles will let me do my job!"

He held the phone away from his face as that Jihl person began yelling. Sighing, Lord Vexen muttered, "Well, if you all would let me do my job or get better at finding people, I wouldn't be calling you all that, now would I?"

More yelling was heard and several choice words were used by the Jihl person. Lord Vexen then told her, "Quiet down! Just bring her! Yes…_her_. I know she's…odd…but we have to stop him from finding that place."

* * *

_Departure College, Kairi and Serah's room, 7 p.m.…_

Kairi, after finishing her homework, was in her room, getting her hair done for the fete that the College was having that night. In the room with two beds, desks and lamps, Serah brushed Kairi's hair roughly. Both teens wore formal dresses, with Kairi in pink and Serah in white.

As she brushed Kairi's hair, Serah said, "You really need to be more careful next time when you're cleaning the room. Just look at your hair."

"Well, it's not surprising. I'm clumsy. Ow!" Kairi said and yelled when Serah pulled roughly with the brush.

"Just promise me that next time you won't fall into a horde of dust bunnies while cleaning," she said.

"Alright, I promise, but I can't guarantee anything," Kairi told her.

While she was getting ready, Nora and Naminé, as a hamster once again, sat on Kairi's bed, waiting for their hosts to get finished. Once they were done, the teens quickly left the room and met Snow outside.

He, wearing a dark suit and not wearing his usual black hat, looked them up and down and said "Nice. Okay, let's go before Master 'Square' yell at us for being late."

"'Master Square'?" Kairi asked.

"Hey, if you change the letters around in his name, you get 'Square'," Snow told her.

* * *

_At the fete…_

A mysterious woman with jet black hair held up by two buns, pale skin and yellow eyes wearing a black, skin-tight formal dress began walking towards Master Eraqus' table. The dress had a plunging neckline, exposing parts of her chest. Around her eyes were odd linear markings and small bangles adorned the odd headdress made of seashells she wore. A golden contraption in the shape of a rising sun was on her back, followed by a silk, white train.

Her _Anima, _which was a black jaguar, walked closely beside her. Everyone in the room began to stare at her with great interest, wondering and talking amongst themselves about her. As she approached the table, she overheard Headmaster Eraqus speaking to a red-haired girl and two other teens who sat to the girl's left. The teens looked rather bored as they were being scolded while eating.

He said to her, "Kairi, I know that you have a habit of sleeping in class, but it needs to stop. You must value education as a mind is a terrible thing to waste. That applies to you too, Snow and Serah."

The woman stood next by Kairi and smirked. The men around Master Eraqus began to tremble in fear.

"I see that you've haven't change a bit with your ways in instructing children, Headmaster," the woman said, holding onto the back of Kairi's chair.

All the men stood up and the woman continued.

"From what I've experienced as a teacher, children and their _Anima_ need mental stimulation to prevent their boredom in class. Things such as games, field trips and group assignments provide such stimulation. Give that to them otherwise they'll fall asleep or skip classes," the woman told Master Eraqus.

The contraption on her back folded like bird's wings and disappeared. Kairi was in awe as she had never seen anything like that. The woman smiled at her and looked back at the men.

"Sit down, gentlemen," the woman said, sitting down first.

The men did as they were told.

Naminé, confused about what just happened, hopped onto the table and asked Kairi, "Who's she?"

"Don't know," Kairi whispered.

"Ah, Mrs. Kramer. This is Kairi Hasegawa and her friends, Snow Villiers and Serah Farron. Kairi is Lord Ansem Hasegawa's niece. You three, this is Edea Kramer, a former teacher and…_friend_ of this great institution," Master Eraqus said, nearly glaring at the woman.

Edea raise an eyebrow at the headmaster and turned to Kairi.

"How lovely to meet you," she said, extending a gloved hand.

Kairi shook it, pleased to meet her. Edea looked at Snow and Serah and introduced herself. The teens reciprocated, still wondering who she was.

As the men at the table began eating, Edea told the teens, "Do you know I've met Lord Hasegawa? It was twenty years ago, right here at this very college. I was friends with Lord Ansem and his wife, Leonora, and taught science here. Lord Ansem taught history while Lady Leonora taught political science."

"Wait, Uncle Ansem was married?" Naminé asked.

"Yes he was. Leonora died five years after I arrived…from cancer. Poor woman. Anyway, the three of us began to study on the nomads of the world. The nomads are separated into groups called Wolves, Hawks and Falcons. The Wolf Nomadic nation travel both on land and sea, never staying in a place for too long. The Hawk and Falcon nations travel and live mostly in the air on their own airships. But how they avoid imperial and Sanctum patrols are beyond me," Edea said.

"'Wolves, Hawks and Falcons'? Why do you guys call them that?" Snow asked.

"Because their _Anima_ take the shape of actual wolves, hawks and falcons. And you know that we gain abilities and characteristics from our _Anima. _Based on the _Anima's _shape, we gain idiosyncrasies from the actual animals that exist in our world. For example, Wolf nomads have an acute sense of smell and great strength. Hawks and Falcon nomads have great jumping abilities, can use wind spells with ease, but have claustrophobia," Edea explained.

"Oh, so all _Anima _cause their hosts to act like the animal the _Anima_ takes shape?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, but I've heard exceptions," Edea told her.

Noticing the three teens' confused expression, the woman then smirked and got back on subject.

"We researched the groups, wondering if there was a way to assimilate them into the 'stable' societies of the world. Lady Leonora thought the task would be impossible and research stopped after she died. After she did, Lord Ansem and I took notice of their political structure."

"Each family, or clan, is headed by the matriarch in the seafaring Wolf nomads while the land traveling clans are usually headed by the patriarch. The Hawks have patriarchs that lead while the Falcon chose matriarchs. The clan heads all report to a 'sector leader' and said leader report to the leader of the whole nation. For the Wolves a man named Rikuto Nakayama in Macalania Forest leads them. For the Hawks, a man named Hayato Nakashima of the Eblan isles west of Saronia. The Falcon's leader is a woman named Jane Cornelia."

"We recorded our findings into a book and Lord Ansem wished to use it to convince the Sanctum that arresting them was a terrible idea. I thought it would be hopeless as the last person who tried to convince them of that was executed. But he wouldn't listen. He such a stubborn thing," Edea told the trio.

Noticing their shocked faces, Edea stopped laughing and looked serious.

"Oh, but you mustn't tell him I said that," she added.

"Oh, I'd never. I don't know about these two," Kairi said.

"Hey, I can keep a secret," Snow retorted, offended.

Serah rolled her emerald eyes and said, "Sure. If saying 'I'm just saying' is a way to keep secrets, then fine."

Edea laughed, finding the three entertaining. Remembering what she came to do, she gave the trio a proposal.

"Hmm, it seems that I can trust you. I'm going to travel the world soon. I'm going to need assistants," Edea said.

"You want us…to go traveling with you?" Kairi asked.

"Traveling? Ooh, let's go," Naminé said, hopping in Kairi's lap.

Edea nodded and said, "But we need Master Eraqus's permission first."

Clearing her throat, Edea said to Eraqus, "Master! I was hoping I might 'borrow' Kairi, Snow and Serah. Only for a little while of course."

Looking down at his plate, Master Eraqus said, "I'm not sure that would be consistent with Lord Ansem's wishes for their education."

Scoffing a bit, Edea said, "Ansem will be fine with it. You mustn't deny me these valuable minds. You really…really mustn't."

She then glared at Eraqus a harsh glare, almost as if she could kill him with it. Eraqus returned the favor and the two kept glaring at each other for several moments.

As if knowing what Edea can do, Eraqus caved in, saying, "Very well. I entrust them to your care."

The teens rapidly fired off questions at Edea after their traveling wishes had come true. Edea answered every last one, happy that she obtained her new assistants.

* * *

_And there's the new and improved chapter one. I changed many parts of it as Kairi originally hoofed it alone with Edea. Now that Serah, Snow and Kairi are with her, what could possibly go wrong? If anything does go wrong? And thanks to KHLegacy for her review and favoriting the story and to Nintendoman1 for favoriting and following this story. And for everyone else, give this story a chance and review. If there's anything that needs correction, I'll do it…only if it is really necessary. _

_-miano53_


	4. Chapter Two: Betrayal

_"__The Nomadic tribes regions of the world behave more closely to their __**Anima**__. Unlike most people, who want their __**Anima**__ to constantly behave in a human manner, the Nomadic Tribes do not mind acquiring their animal-like traits from them. That is why they are feared and hated in the many places of our world."_

_-An observation from Ansem the Wise's book, "Civilization: The Similarities and Differences"._

Chapter Two: Betrayal

_"Unca Ansem!" a five-year-old Kairi yelled, running to her uncle._

_"Kairi," he said, picking her up._

_Her guardians, a woman named Oerba Yun Fang and an older teen named Oerba Dia Vanille looked and Lord Ansem asked, "Why did you bring her here?"_

_"That's what we wanna tell you, but…" Fang replied, looking at a clan of Hawks._

_The clan's leader, Hayato Nakashima, nodded and left the house with the other members of his clan. Fang led Lord Ansem, Kairi and Vanille into another room. Once there, Vanille casted a Silencega spell over the room and Fang said, "We had to."_

_"Why?" Lord Ansem asked._

_"Because a woman by the name of Edea Krammer came to the College two days ago looking for her. Master Eraqus sensed her intentions and he had us leave. I sensed her power and she's…strong…" Fang explained._

_"She is? Hmm…" Lord Ansem asked her._

_"Uh huh…Fang's right. So, we took Kairi out of there as quickly as we could," Vanille said._

_"And we didn't find much trouble, except for the occasional Heartless or two," Fang added._

_Kairi looked at them and yawned. _

_"I'm sleepy," she said._

_"Well, you can go and rest," Lord Ansem told her. _

_She climbed into bed and Lord Ansem tucked her in._

_"Nighty-night," Kairi said._

_"Good night, Kairi," Lord Ansem said to her. Kairi smiled and quickly went to sleep._

* * *

Kairi woke up in a cold sweat and found herself in her bed.

Breathing heavily, she muttered, "It was just a dream. Fang and Vanille are gone and Uncle Ansem left for Goddess-knows-where."

Serah, in her own bed next to Kairi's, woke up and asked, "Are you okay?"

Kairi nodded and said nothing.

"It was about the Oerba sisters again, wasn't it?" Serah asked.

Kairi nodded again and Serah said, "I know that Snow and I are nothing like the Oerba clan, but I hope we can be guardians worthy of your family."

"About that….Why does my family have guardians?" Kairi asked.

Serah lied back down and said, "Goodnight Kairi."

Noticing that she completely avoided the question, Kairi muttered, "It must be about Naminé or my uncle…"

* * *

_Sunday, May 8__th__, Outset City, State of Departure, Radiantan Empire…_

About a few days later, Mrs. Edea Krammer took Kairi, Snow and Serah to the local stores to shop for the trip. Edea, wearing black business attire, wanted to give them new clothes as their usual wasn't suitable for travel in her eyes. As they walked around town with servants from the campus, the three began asking Edea many questions about the world. Based on her expression, Kairi was sure she wondered what the headmaster had taught them about the world outside.

The small city of Outset was a quiet hamlet with three districts. Connecting the boroughs were streets that were mainly used by pedestrians with the occasional bicycle or two. Crystal-powered lamps dotted the area, providing light after dusk. Surrounding the town and the college near it was an exposing stone wall, guarded day and night by imperial troops.

The first of the boroughs was the shopping district. Located in the northern quarters near the college campus, many students and faculty spent their free time at the district's gaming halls, restaurants and small, family-run shops. The second of the districts was the chapel district. The town's rather large church and convent dedicated to the princess-saint Moanna were located there. The third district was the residential quarters and was mainly used by the townsfolk.

As they explored the area, Kairi took note that many of the residents _Anima_ were of the owl, raven and fox variety. She then looked at Edea and asked, "So…since everyone takes behaviors and abilities from their_ Anima_, do they…group themselves together like…that?"

She pointed at a small group of people that had foxes for _Anima._

"Yes. After the old world was destroyed, many people grouped themselves together if they had similar _Anima_. Being friends, courting or marrying someone who had a different _Anima_ than you was out of the question. But when the empire came to existence nearly 1,100 years ago, people gradually started to have a chance of heart...with the exception of the nomadic tribes," Edea replied.

"So, that means the nomads are…racist too?" Snow asked.

"I don't know if I would say that…but…they can be…a bit protective of keeping their traditions," Edea replied.

"And is that why you don't see nomads in the cities or towns in the empire?" Serah asked.

"That was a decision made by the Sanctum as the nomads are said to practice things that profane the Goddess. They freely talk about things that…well, that you never speak about," Edea told her.

"Like 'Kingdom Hearts'?" Kairi asked.

Edea stopped in her tracks. She looked at the teen and asked, "W-Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard one of the masters say that…" Kairi lied.

The woman sighed and said, "That is one of the things you mustn't speak about. I forgive you of that offence, but others would not be so…lenient. So, be careful on what you speak, are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kairi told her.

In a better mood, the woman found a shop for the trio. It was a local clothing store that had both formal and traveling clothes. Edea helped Serah and Kairi with their clothes and allowed Snow to pick out whatever he wanted. As the woman paid for their clothes, Kairi noticed that there were more party clothes than traveling ones.

"Um, I thought we were going traveling, not to a fete," Kairi said.

"Well, in one of the places that we are going to, we will need to dress formally," Edea told her.

"And where is that?" Serah asked.

"You'll see," Edea told her, paying for several dresses in the color schemes of black, white, red and pink.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

A tall teen with semi-short, ash blonde hair walked around carefully in the shopping district. His pale skin was covered by a white and black hooded jacket, blue pants and tattered shoes. He looked around with his turquoise eyes in distrust of anyone.

His _Anima_ was that of something that most people in the cities did not have, an Arctic Timber wolf. Surprisingly the teen received no stares or glares as the wolf _Anima_ had a black collar around his neck. That made him to be mistaken with a dog. Noticing this, the teen relaxed and began his exploration of the place.

"Well, Riku, are you satisfied now?" the _Anima_ asked him in a language not used by the townsfolk.

Riku smirked, happy to be free of the confines of a stuffy old ship.

"We've left the clan and can get into a lot of trouble now that we're away from Mom," Kiba added, looking around in understandable distrust.

Riku looked at his _Anima _and said, "We'll be fine. As long as the others don't follow us."

"I don't know about that. You remember the last time we left for exploring," Kiba said, extremely doubtful.

"Yeah, I remember," Riku replied, looking around for a place to eat.

"Mom nearly killed us!" Kiba almost yelled.

"You really don't have to worry so much," Riku said, still looking around.

He found a place that had a strong smell of meat.

"You're still looking for a place to eat?" Kiba asked, sighing.

"Found one. C'mon," Riku said and ran in the direction of a small food stand Kiba running alongside him.

* * *

_After leaving the store…_

Edea and the servants of the college left the trio in the city as she had wanted to put up their new clothes and prepare for the trip. To their surprise, she was serious in letting them explore town. They were enthusiastic about it when she warned them to return before dusk. The glare she gave them unnerved them and killed whatever hopes they had for hanging out after dark.

"Well, that was short-lived," Snow muttered.

"And creepy. Did you see that stare?" Serah said.

"Did YOU see it?" Kairi told her, shivering.

A stomach growled loudly and the girls turned their attention to Snow. He looked innocent until it growled again.

"You do realize that between the three of us, we only have about 5,000 munny," Serah told him, with Nora looking amused.

"I know that!" the teen boy yelled.

"And you do know that you eat like you'll never eat again, right?" Kairi asked.

Snow's stomach growled once more and Orion began sniffing around in earnest.

"Ooh! Found something!" he said, running off.

Snow followed along with the girls. As they ran, another teen was barreling directly towards her from the left side. By the time Naminé and her noticed, it was too late as the teen tackled Kairi to the ground. The _Anima _of the teen sighed as the teen got up and noticed that Kairi was on the ground.

"Ow," was all Kairi could say.

The newcomer noticed that she was on the ground and said, "_Otto…G-Gomen-kudasai!"_

Snow and Serah rushed to Kairi's side and glared at the Eblanese-speaking newcomer.

"Hey! What did you do that for? She could've gotten hurt!" Snow yelled.

Serah helped Kairi up and she said, "I-I'm fine."

She stopped Snow from berating the newcomer and asked in Eblanese, from the time her uncle had taught it to her as a child, "I'm fine. Are you okay? Do you speak Radiantan?"

"Y-Yeah. I know some," the teen told her.

Snow, still miffed about Kairi getting run over by the newcomer, asked, "Does he got a name or something? And what's with his _Anima_? Why does it look like a…?"

The newcomer looked a bit annoyed with Snow and interrupted him, saying with a slight Eblanese accent, "Riku. Riku Nakayama…and that's Kiba."

Kairi quickly introduced everyone, "Oh, I'm Kairi Hasegawa. This is my _Anima_, Naminé. The one who's glaring at you is Snow Villiers and his _Anima,_ Orion. And that's Serah Farron and her _Anima,_ Nora."

"Hi," Serah said kindly.

Snow said nothing and received an elbow to his side.

"Ow! Heya…" Snow said.

Riku looked intrigued with Kairi and asked if she was Elbanese due to her last name. Kairi, not sure, replied with, "I think so. I don't remember my parents much."

"Because she was adopted by her uncle," Serah added.

"And her mom left her when she was a kid for some reason," Snow told him.

Remembering their original goal, Kairi invited Riku to lunch with them. Snow immediately objected, receiving a stomp on his left foot by Serah. The male guardian grabbed his foot and muttered many a curse at his girlfriend.

"Uh…I…I don't think we should," Kiba muttered.

"Do you have any munny?" Serah asked Riku.

The teen pulled out a wallet full of munny and said, "About…3,000."

That…shocked the group.

"How…?" Kairi asked.

"I never heard anyone who had that much at his age…" Naminé muttered.

Serah changed the subject back to finding something to eat. The group of four arrived at a small food stall and Kairi noticed that Riku had looked tense. His _Anima _looked around warily and trembled slightly.

'Maybe he's new here and he's not used to this place yet. Or…Hmm…I wonder. He looks kinda familiar, but…' Kairi thought.

* * *

After ordering and getting sandwiches, Serah led the group to a small park near the college. As they ate, many questions were asked about Riku. Snow lightened up a bit and Kairi found Riku to be a mysterious, yet nice, guy.

Nearly an hour of chatting later, Riku told them, "Well, it was nice meeting you guys. But…I have to go."

"So soon?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah. We have to head home," Kiba told her.

Riku nodded and told Kairi, "And…sorry for running into you like that."

"It's okay," Kairi said, smiling.

He then looked at Snow and Serah.

"Sorry for bumping into her. No hard feelings?" he said.

"Nope. I'm good. Snow? Snow!" Serah told him, noticing a still glaring Snow.

"Eh…" the teen said.

Riku left the area and Kairi decided to go back to the campus to prepare for the next day.

* * *

_Outset City, outskirts…_

Riku and Kiba left the city and started heading towards the forests in the area. As he walked along the stone road, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent of wildflowers and sea water. Kiba looked up at him with a worried glance and all Riku could mutter was, "Oh crap."

The teen was kicked in the back by an older woman. The brown-haired woman in brown clothing that would suggest constant sea travel glared at him. Her _Anima _did the same and growled with annoyance at Kiba.

In Eblanese, the woman asked, "Why did you leave the ship?"

"Mom, I was bored," Riku told her.

"That's no excuse. You could've got jailed or worse!" his mother screamed.

"I was just trying to…" Riku started.

Before he knew it, his mother had slapped him. The teen held his right cheek and looked to the ground. She then hugged him, giving Riku mixed messages on what was going on.

"I only told you that as people…don't want to understand us. They think of us as heretical monsters. And you leaving the ship when we were restocking…scared me. I thought you had gotten arrested or killed," his mother had told him.

"Well, I came back, didn't I? I know you don't trust other people after what happened to Dad. But, I don't think they're all bad," Riku said.

"They didn't see what your _Anima _really is. If they had realized it…" his mother told him.

"Lady Chiyo!"

The two saw a few of their clan members rush towards them, armed with guns and other weaponry. After seeing Riku, they sighed with relief.

"Milady, we must leave. The imperials will be patrolling the roads any second," one of them told her.

"I know, Chizuru," Lady Chiyo said.

They heard the sound of footsteps and hid in the trees. As they waited, Riku could see the far off image of a group of soldiers in black and gold armor, marching down the road with their dog _Anima _following behind. He turned to his fellow clan members and saw them getting ready to attack.

His mother made hand motions that indicated them not to assault the group. Their enthusiasm died after seeing how large the group was. The soldiers were armed with swords and firearms much stronger than what they had.

After seeing them march towards Outset City, Lady Chiyo gave the silent command to leave. They successfully did, staying hidden within the trees.

* * *

_The next day, Headmaster Eraqus's office…_

Master Eraqus looked out of the window and at the airship that Sanctum provided for Edea Kramer. He sighed, "I'm afraid that we will see what the Sanctum is really after…Now, she'll be drawn into it as well."

"Well, we've protected her so far, fulfilling our duties as her guardians. And Snow and Serah will join her. What could possibly happen?" a rotund scholar told him.

"A lot could. She's one of the Pure Hearts connected to the Keys and Kingdom Hearts. If the Sanctum was to find out, then our end is nigh," Master Eraqus said.

"How do you know such things?" the man asked.

"I…cannot tell you that," was all Master Eraqus said.

"To protect her?" the professor questioned.

"Yes. All I know is that I will have to leave this place soon. And…I believe that you will be a suitable headmaster, Cid," Eraqus replied.

The man, Cid Pollendia, nodded his head and tugged at his red, scraggily beard. He looked up at the headmaster through his thick bifocals and told him, "Then I shall take the job to protect whatever it is you have to hide…for her sake."

* * *

_In Kairi's room…_

Headmaster Eraqus and his _Anima _quickly entered Kairi's room, shocking the packing duo.

"Master Eraqus, what are you doing here?" Kairi asked.

Looking a bit flustered, Master Eraqus said, "Um, Serah, could you wait outside? I need to know if I was followed."

"Um, okay," Serah muttered.

When she waited outside the door, Master Eraqus said to Kairi, "Here. This is for you."

He gave Kairi something bound in leather.

"What is it?" she asked, opening it.

What she saw was this beautiful, crystallized compass. The compass began to glow with a soft light, mesmerizing Kairi.

"This is a _Cacciatore di Aura _or in our language an 'Aura Tracker'. This is one of the few relics left behind from the Great Keyblade War some three millennia ago," Master Eraqus explained.

"What does it do?" Kairi asked.

"It allows the holder to find others that are like and are connected to you, Kairi. This relic was found by Lord Ansem some ten years ago and I feel that you are meant to have it. But, please, keep the Tracker and its secrets to yourself. It is of the utmost importance that no one knows that you have it," Master Eraqus said.

"Okay. I won't tell anyone," Kairi promised.

Master Eraqus nodded and said, "This may be the last time we see each other. So, please, keep yourself and your guardians safe."

He left, leaving Kairi with the cryptic words.

* * *

_Departure College, airship docks…_

Edea, wearing a large black fur coat and white silk dress, noticed Kairi's group heading towards the ship. The group wore the traveling clothes she had bought and the woman smiled.

"Where have you been? The airship's about to take off," Edea said.

Troubled by what Master Eraqus had told her, Kairi said, "We were just saying goodbye to everyone."

"Yeah. How long are we gonna be gone?" Snow asked.

"For about several weeks," Edea replied.

"And…Where are we going?" Serah asked.

"To Hollow Bastion, the capital of the empire. Don't worry. You all will be back here before you know it. Until then, you can send your classmates postcards of the trip," Edea said, leading the group to the airship.

One by one, the teens boarded the airship. Before Kairi boarded, she looked back at the campus and thought, 'Goodbye…everyone. I don't think I'm ever coming back here…'

* * *

"_Moanna! Run!"_

"_W-Why?"_

"_He's coming!"_

"_Azure, wait!"_

"_Yami, we can't stop running now! We gotta get Moanna to safety before he finds her! He if does, we're dead! Do ya hear me? Dead!"_

"_Azure, calm down."_

"_Calm, Wataru? I'M COMPLETELY CALM!"_

"_He's nowhere near us, Azure."_

"_Shut it, Yami! The last time someone said that he…"_

"_Oh no-oo-oo!"_

"_Just run, man!"_

* * *

Kairi woke up on the airship bound for Hollow Bastion and saw that she was still in a lounge chair. The drawing room of the private airship of Edea's was near the nose of the ship and had a window that allowed viewing of the outside area. The rest of the ship was dedicated to the captain and crew and passengers weren't allowed in the rest of the vessel.

Snow and Serah stood at the window, unaware of Kairi's nightmare. The teen sighed, not knowing what the dream was about.

"Had a nightmare?" Edea asked, sitting in a chair opposite from Kairi.

"Y-Yeah," Kairi replied.

"Well, nightmares usually stem from what we fear most…or something that we fear to remember. I find that conquering fears is the key to ridding oneself of nightmares," Edea said.

Kairi looked to Serah, who was still looking out the window with Snow.

"Serah told you?" Kairi asked.

"Yes. And Snow added that you would talk in your sleep in classes. Maybe we should have you see a therapist before we leave Hollow Bastion," Edea said.

Kairi was going to reply when Snow yelled, "Whoa! This is the capital?"

The two joined Serah and Snow and Kairi saw how massive the empire's capital was. Hollow Bastion, the seat of the empire and the largest city in the world, was filled to the brim with skyscrapers and other building. Walls divided the different districts and Kairi could see that each district, thirteen in all, was dedicated to something different. Airship docks dotted the area, allowing for wealthier residents to leave and return to the city with ease.

The large of all the buildings was the palace of Hollow Bastion. The palace was located in the center of the city and the city itself encompassed it. Kairi felt strange as the place looked familiar, but she didn't remember ever setting foot outside of the college.

Once the airship had landed, the group headed for Edea's mansion in the wealthiest district of the city, near the palace. The mansion, which had 50 rooms and 15 bathrooms, was considered close to a palace. Expensive carriages driven by prized chocobos were located at the mansion's front. A large garden was in the back as well as the garden's labyrinth. A grand staircase led up to the front doors of the mansion, giving off a grandiose feel.

Entering the home, Edea showed the teens their new rooms. Unlike before, Serah and she were in separated, but connected, rooms. A queen-size bed with all-white sheets, covers and pillows served as her resting place. There was a desk for Kairi to write letters and finish whatever homework or studying she had to do. Several bookcases were lined along the walls and two wardrobes were provided in the room to hold all of her clothes. The bathroom held all of Kairi's personals and the last thing Kairi noticed was a large map of the world that was plastered onto her bedroom wall.

After getting all of her things into the room, changing into her new nightwear of white and getting comfortable, Kairi opened up the Tracker. The interior of the device had several symbols, each with a distinct design. On the needle was a picture of a key-like sword. The name of the symbol came to mind and she muttered, "Keyblade…"

"Hmm, but what is a Keyblade? And what about the other symbols? I never seen anything like it," Naminé asked, confused.

"I don't know, but maybe Uncle Ansem knows. He's a scholar of Old World symbolism," Kairi said.

She immediately shut it and hid it when she heard Edea enter her room. As if checking on her, Edea said, "Are you all washed and ready for bed?"

"Yes ma'am," Kairi replied.

"Alright, just be prepared for tomorrow. We have a busy day ahead of us," Edea said and left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Three weeks passed by and everyone became frustrated as they didn't go traveling like Edea promised. For some reason, the three went to many parties, but nothing else. To her own surprise, Kairi didn't learn much and began missing her schooling back in Departure. After a fete one night in late spring, Kairi had had enough. She complained about it, but received no alternative to Edea's "educational program."

In her room, Kairi took out the Tracker and yelled, "I usually don't hate people, but she's really getting my goat!"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't like her!" Naminé yelled.

"What does she want with us? Why are we really here?" Kairi asked, crying.

The door leading to Serah's room opened as well as the main door. Snow and Serah entered the room, closed the doors behind them and found places to sit. Serah had a worried look on her face while Snow glowered.

"So, I guess you two don't like what's going on either?" Kairi asked.

"Nope. I hate it here. It's so boring. I mean, getting free food is nice, but I'm bored," Snow said.

"And we haven't been taught anything…except for the difference between a dinner fork and a salad fork," Serah added.

As they talked, Kairi debated on whether or not to show the Tracker to her guardians. She thought not to as a feeling of dread began to overtake her. She stood up and headed for the door.

"Kairi? Kairi, what's wrong?" Serah asked.

She ignored Serah and headed for the source of the feeling, Edea Krammer's office.

* * *

_In Edea Kramer's home office, Hollow Bastion…_

Kairi and Naminé began looking around the room. The room looked like a typical office, but something was a bit…off. Kairi looked at the fireplace and noticed that the aura was completely off as the flames were colored purple. She saw that there was a stack of papers on the desk and Kairi saw that it was another of Edea's guest's lists.

While Kairi checked the surface areas, Naminé, changing to a cat, jumped into the garbage bin. Within seconds, she found something very odd. Muffled, Naminé said to Kairi, "Look at this!"

Naminé poked her head out of the garbage can and Kairi saw that it was a folder.

"Those are just guest lists," Kairi replied.

"No, they're not. Just read it," Naminé said.

Kairi opened it and was shocked.

The first of the papers in it read, "'Experiment 096: Find Heartless and check reaction to the Dark One's seal…Experiment successful. Heartless fled from seal…'"

The door opened and Kairi yelped in terror. Snow and Serah had caught up and snuck into the office. Serah took the paper that she was reading and continued.

"'Experiment 626: Gather children of nomads and infuse _Anima_ into the heart…Should be able to re-fuse the _Anima_ with the host. Pass attempts have resulted in failure…'" Serah read.

Snow then took it and found the last section.

"'Experiment 710: Finding the Princesses of Heart spoken in lore to awaken the Dark One. Goal, to have the Dark One awaken to 'push reset' on the world. _Anima_ and host should become one again, lessening the threat of the Heartless,'" Snow read.

Kairi saw that more writings on the experiment were in the folder and began to tremble.

"'To awaken, one must find the seven Princesses and unseal the twelve seals of the beast. The first of the Princesses, Alice Cartier, fled imperial custody and whereabouts are currently unknown. The second of the Princesses is said to be in Outset City, near the Departure College,'" Kairi read.

She suddenly realized that Edea was after her the whole time. Serah took the folder and read the last part.

"'Your orders are to find the heart of light in Outset City and to unseal the seals located in this world. From…Primarch Galenth Dysley,'" Serah read.

"Wait, why would the Primarch be after…?" Snow asked.

"Kairi, where are you? Snow? Serah? Anyone?" the three heard from Edea.

The group quickly ran out of the office and was caught by the woman. Suspicious of her, the group tried to hide their anger, albeit unsuccessfully.

Edea, noticing that three had just left her office, asked, "Oh, there you all are. What were you doing in there?"

"Um, nothing," Kairi replied.

"Well, we should find you all something to do. Do you want to help me make our passage to Destiny Islands?" Edea said.

No one gave a response.

"Oh, you do want to go traveling with me, don't you?" Edea asked, looking too innocent.

Naminé, noticing this, said to Kairi, "Where's Griever?"

"Yeah, I don't see her," Nora told them.

Realizing what had happened, Kairi quickly bolted in the direction of her room. Once she had arrived, she noticed that the panther _Anima_ Griever was on her bed and found the Tracker. Kairi gasped and Naminé changed forms. This time, she took the form of a small eagle, swiped the Tracker from Griever and flew out of the open window.

"This way!" she yelled, flying off.

Kairi followed Naminé and tried to shut the window behind her. Griever caught up and Kairi yelped in shock. When she did, a bright light came from her chest, hitting Griever in the face and knocking her back.

* * *

Running down the streets with the Tracker in her hands and worried for her guardians, Kairi said, "I-I hope that Serah and Snow are okay. I can't believe she tricked me like that!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, but we can't stay here," Naminé told her.

In the back alleys of the port, Kairi and Naminé began looking for a way of escape. As if sensing danger, the two hid behind a stack of crates. They then saw imperial troops patrolling the area. One of them, apparently the captain, told the agents, "Search the pier. Edea said she couldn't have gotten far."

"Okay, so we won't be leaving easily," Naminé noted.

"There you are."

Kairi was about to scream when a hand was placed over her mouth. She calmed herself one she had realized that her guardians had caught up with her. They looked flushed and Snow led them to a dark alleyway. The three, with their _Anima _following closely behind, walked into the alley and some of the soldiers began following them.

Seconds later, more soldiers spotted them.

The captain ordered, "That's the girl! Get her!"

Kairi, quickly thinking, saw an old door to a decrepit factory that she could break down. She did just that and ran into the building with her guardians following behind. After turning back into a bird and flying ahead of her, Naminé yelled, "Hurry Kairi!"

During the chase, the trio ran down the three sets of stairs and followed Naminé to the main floor. Thinking that they were in clear, the trio slowed down. That mistake caused Kairi to be captured by a net that was thrown over a banister by one of the agents. Naminé morphed back into a hamster and fell onto the stone ground hard.

Snow tried to fight, but was quickly grabbed. Serah tried to shoot, but her weapon was shot out of her hands. She was then grabbed as well. Orion and Nora tried to protect their hosts, but were captured in a net.

"Let us go!" Snow bellowed.

"Yeah, we didn't do anything!" Orion added.

The soldiers ignored him and grabbed Kairi's net. Just before they could officially arrest her, an arrow sailed through the air and hit one of the agents in the chest, quickly killing him and his dog _Anima _disappearing in a cloud of light particles.

More arrows sailed into the air and each arrow hit their targets: the remaining soldiers. After the troops and their _Anima _were eliminated, a teenage boy with spiky brown hair, azure eyes and tan skin jumped down from the factory's third floor balcony with a few others. His _Anima_ was that of a brown hawk, making Kairi quite suspicious of him.

He pulled out a knife and began cutting away at the net. Finished, he helped Kairi out of the net and onto her feet. The others who came with him helped Snow and Serah, freeing their _Anima _from the net, and led them to Kairi. Kairi was given Naminé back and she held her close.

Confused by the situation, Snow asked, "Who are they?"

Kairi looked at the boy's attire and noticed that it looked like something someone in the mountains north of the Departure College would wear. He wore a brown fur poncho, shirt, pants and fur lined boots. The boy, unlike the rest of his clan, wore a chain necklace with a pendant in the shape of a crown.

When Kairi was done with her analysis, the only thing she could say was, "I think they're Hawks."

"'Hawks'? What are you talking about? We're not animals," the boy said.

Kairi looked rather nervous and the boy introduced himself.

"I'm Sora Nakashima. This is Roxas. And the rest of these guys are my cousins," the boy, Sora said, pointing at his _Anima_.

"Howdy," Roxas said, landing on Sora's shoulder.

"What're your names?" Sora asked.

The trio was a bit shocked he had understood Kairi.

"Uh…Well, I'm Kairi Hasegawa. And these are my friends, Snow Villiers and Serah Farron. And our _Anima_: Naminé, Orion and Nora," Kairi said.

As if hearing something, one of Sora's clansmen said, "Sora, we gotta go now!"

"You guys?" Sora asked. Kairi, still afraid, didn't say anything.

"Well, we have nowhere else to go," Naminé said to her.

"Yeah and Edea wants to send you to the Primarch," Snow added.

"And the whole empire's looking for you," Serah told Kairi.

After a few nervous moments and pondering on whether or not she should trust the see, Kairi agreed to go with the clan. They followed Sora through the area, heading for the city docks.

* * *

_There's new and improved chapter two. So, read and review please!_

_-miano53_


	5. Chapter Three: The Keys of Destiny

"_People that live in the Nomadic Hawk and Falcon clans have several things in common. One of the being every last one of them have a form of claustrophobia. My theory on this is that since their __**Anima**__ are creatures of the air, they refuse to be locked up in any form of cage or enclosed space. Another trait that each clansmen share is the abilities that is within the hawk. Some of those abilities include better than average sight, the ability to ride the winds and have great jumping and agility. The Sanctum wishes to annihilate the Nomadic Hawk, Falcon and Wolf nations, believing that they all are sub-human. If I could just convince them that they are just as human as anyone else, maybe the Sanctum would call off the hunt. But that is just a fool's dream."_

_-Written by Headmaster Eraqus Torino in his Journal_

Chapter Three: The Keys of Destiny

_"What's your name? I'm Sora and this is Roxas. And that's Riku and Kiba," a little boy with a Hawk Anima said._

_"I'm Kairi…__Ohi-o__," Kairi replied._

_"__Ohi-o!__" Sora said, speaking in Elbanese._

_Sora looked at his friend, Riku, and the older boy said, "Hey. I'm surprised you can speak Elbanese…Well, our way to talk to everyone."_

"_Yeah. Ma said it's called a…a…a 'diamamec'!" Sora exclaimed._

_Kairi and Riku looked at each other in confusion and then back to Sora. Kairi's old guardians, Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Dia Vanille, began to laugh._

"_Uh…I think it's a 'dialect'," Vanille said in Radiantan._

"_What?" Sora yelled._

"_She said it's 'dialect'," Kairi translated._

"_Oh…I didn't know what she said. Sounds like 'dah-lie-bah-tech'!" Sora said, making fun of the language Kairi learned first._

_Kairi giggled as they walked back with their families to a nearby village…_

* * *

_Monday, May 30__th__, 1 a.m., Hollow Bastion, Port…_

The port of Hollow Bastion was on the northeastern coast of the city, as the capital of the empire was in the northernmost part of the Gaia continent. Many of the ships were warships and were poised to strike north, the continent of Spira and the islands near it. Only a few commercial ships were allowed to sail and bring goods into the empire, but mostly airships were used. The paths of the port were mostly stone and lighthouses dotted the area. Imperial guards patrolled and Kairi, her guardians, and Sora's clan cautiously snuck passed them.

In the shadows of the ships, Sora made motion for the group to follow when the coast was clear. As they did, Kairi whispered, "Where are we going?"

"We're gonna see my parents and leave. So, do you still want to come?" Sora said.

Naminé was going to reply for Kairi when Kairi quickly said, "Yes."

Kairi noticed something that would be considered odd for anyone who supposedly lived in the mountains, a large, crystal powered ship. The large boat was mostly made of steel and had the look of a warship. In the ship's interior were three decks. The first deck was mostly dedicated to onboard weaponry as the ship had massive cannons to take down seafaring foes and had a meeting room that was original the captain's stateroom. The old stateroom had a set of stairs that connected to the lower decks, giving others onboard easier access to the room and the first deck. The second deck was both storage and sleeping quarters. The third deck was the engine room.

'So they traveled by ship? I thought Hawks flew in airships,' Kairi thought.

After entering the metallic vessel and into the darkened meeting room, Sora rushed to small lamps and lit them. His brethren did the same and bade for Kairi, Snow and Serah to sit at the lone, long table with many items strewn about on it. They headed towards the staircase and went down below.

"What's going on?" Serah asked.

"They're getting my mom and dad. They're the leaders of the clan and they gotta meet ya," Sora replied.

When he did, a tan skinned woman with long, brown hair and azure eyes entered. She wore brown, fur lined attire that gave hints to their nomadic lifestyle. Her _Anima _was that of a brown hawk named Keiko, whose name was provided by Sora. When she saw Sora, she immediately greeted him but became wary of Kairi's group when she noticed them.

Pulling her son over to the side, she asked in Eblanese, "Sora, who is this?"

"Oh, Mom, this is Kairi Hasegawa. And these are her friends, Snow Villiers and Serah Farron. Guys, this is my mom, Lady Suzume Nakashima," Sora replied happily, speaking both Radiantan and Elbanese.

"Hello," Kairi nervously said.

"Hi," Serah smiled.

"'Sup," Snow nodded.

Their _Anima_ greeted Sora's mother and her _Anima_, but Lady Suzume was a bit leery.

"You know your father is not going to like this one bit," Lady Suzume said to Sora, still speaking Eblanese.

"Why not?" Sora asked.

"Because they're…" Lady Suzume was about to say when her husband had entered the room.

"Ah, Sora, you're back! Did you find Master Torino in Departure?" Sora's father asked, entering the meeting room from the stairs.

The older man, in similar appearance to Sora, looked at Kairi and her friends. His sapphire eyes had glared at them and his face was twisted in a scowl. His _Anima_ of a black hawk perched onto his right shoulder and joined in the glare.

"No, Dad. I couldn't find him," Sora sighed.

"Yeah, we only found these guys who were being chased by those agent guys," Roxas added flying over to Kairi.

"Sora, who is this and why is she here?" he asked in Eblanese.

"Dad, this is Kairi, Snow and Serah. Guys, this is my Dad, Lord Hayato," Sora replied, introducing the two and using both languages.

"Um, nice to meet you?" Kairi said to him in Eblanese, unsure and afraid.

"Hmmph," was all Lord Hayato could say.

"Dear, be nice," Lady Suzume warned.

"Sora, take these…city dwellers back to where they came from. They have no place in our number," Lord Hayato ordered Sora.

"Why? She has nowhere else to go," Sora questioned.

"These people will bring ruin to our clan! So, take them back to where they came from!" Lord Hayato roared.

Lady Suzume looked at Kairi and noticed the Tracker she clutched at her chest. It was shining brightly and all she could say was, "They'll stay with us."

"But! Suzume, are you mad? He brought…!" Lady Hayato yelled at his wife.

The woman pulled her husband over to the side and said, "Do you see that device in her hands?"

"Yes, but what of it?" Lord Hayato asked.

"That could be the relic the Sanctum's been looking for. If she has it, then that means she must be one of the Keys in the prophecy," Lady Suzume explained.

After a quick argument, the two concluded to keep Kairi's group aboard the ship, making Sora quite happy. He smiled at Kairi and the teen couldn't help but feel great familiarity with him.

'Why…Who is he to me? Why does it feel like I know him, but yet I don't?' Kairi thought.

* * *

_The Naldoan Seas, north of Gaia continent, 2 a.m.…_

An hour after sailing off, Sora finally told Kairi where they were going. Sitting on the main deck outside and leaning against a railing, he said, "We're going to this place called Macalania in central Spira."

"'Maca'-what?" Snow asked.

"'Macarenia'? 'Macarania'?" Serah questioned, not understanding Sora through his accent.

"He said 'Macalania'. M-A-C-A-L-A-N-I-A," Roxas told them, annoyed.

"Oh…" the pair said, finally understanding.

Sora shook his head and Kairi asked, "Why are we going there?"

"Well, the guy who runs that place, Lord Rikuto Nakayama, is a friend to my dad and is my best friend's grandpa. He'll protect us 'cause I heard that you're special," Sora explained.

Snow immediately became defensive.

"And how did you guys figure that?" he asked.

"'Cause that compass thing she was holding earlier. A Tracker, right?" Roxas replied, perching on Sora's shoulder.

The trio was shocked.

"Uh…H-How do you know about that?" Kairi inquired

Sora stretched and answered with, "All of us nomads know about the Trackers, Kingdom Hearts, the Princesses and all that good stuff. But…the Sanctum doesn't like us 'cause we talk about stuff like that."

"And they've been kidnapping our kind because of it."

The group saw Lord Hayato. He spoke in Radiantan, surprising both Snow and Serah. The patriarch bade for the four to follow him back into the meeting room. There, he gave a proper introduction to his clan and Kairi did the same with her friends and herself. After doing so, Lord Hayato told them what his clan had witnessed and suspected.

"For these past several years, we have heard reports…terrible reports of the nomadic tribes' children disappearing off their clans' vessels, never to return. Since I am the head of all the Hawk tribes, my clan went to investigate the many cries for help…" Lord Hayato started.

Lady Suzume sighed and added, speaking in Radiantan, "They would tell us that darkness would infiltrate their ship and take the children in the dead of night. Then when the darkness was lifted and morning came, the children were gone without a trace."

"But, why? Who would do such a thing? Use darkness like that?" Kairi asked.

"We don't know. But…many tell tales of seeing PSICOM airships hover near their ships...And, we've recently heard a terrible rumor," Lord Hayato said.

"What rumor?" Serah asked.

"The rumor that has been going around is that Sanctum is taking the youths to secret labs across the world. The last I heard was that they're experimenting on them, trying to force them to assimilate with something," Lady Suzume replied.

"We would know the truth if you can tell us what happened on your journey. And…the reason why you have a Tracker," Lord Hayato said to Kairi.

Kairi looked to Snow, who sat next to her, and then to Serah, who sat to Snow's right. She turned to Sora, who sat to Kairi's left. She explained where they lived and about Master Eraqus. She told them about her uncle, Lord Ansem, and what he had set out to do. She also told them about Edea Krammer, her plans on "infusion" and Sora looked shocked.

"You met with Mrs. Krammer and lived?" Sora asked.

"Yes, because Snow and Serah were with me," Kairi said.

"Your guardians, correct?" Lord Hayato asked.

Kairi nodded, much to her guardians' dismay.

"And you said your uncle is Lord Ansem Hasegawa…I knew it…Sora, Kairi, you've met before…" Lord Hayato said.

"What?" Kairi and Sora yelled in bewilderment.

* * *

"_Hey. What'cha doing?" a young Sora asked._

_A young Kairi, wanting time to herself, sat on the ground near the Nakashima's home in the village Ashura. She busily drew in a sketchbook and saw a young Riku walk towards them. He looked at her drawing of the mountain village with great interest._

"_Hey, you're pretty good," he said._

"_Yeah! Draw me! Draw me!" Sora chirped._

"_Yeah! Draw us while we spar!" Riku exclaimed._

_The two, using wooden swords, began to spar while Kairi turned a page in her sketchbook. She began to draw the two and didn't notice her red haired guardian, Oerba Dia Vanille, approach her. The teen looked at her sketches and then back at the boys._

"_Um…Who are they, sweetie? That's not Sora and Riku," she said._

_Kairi stopped drawing and noticed that the image on the page was that of two men in armor, fighting each other with key-like swords. She looked up at Sora and Riku and the two kept fighting, but…it became more intense._

"_Uh…I…I don't know…" Kairi told Vanille._

_She then saw that the boys had stopped fighting and turned their attention to Vanille. They went into battle stances. Seemingly in a trance, Sora said, "Get away from the Princess!"_

'"_Princess"?' Kairi thought._

"_What? I'm her guardian, remember? Oerba Dia Vanille," Vanille told them._

_The boys ignored her and began to charge, yelling battle cries. Vanille grabbed Kairi and entered the Nakashima home, slamming the door behind her. The boys began banging on it and yelling rather loudly, scaring Kairi. _

"_What is going on?" Lady Suzume asked._

"_Sora and Riku are trying to hurt Vanille!" Kairi cried._

_Before Lady Suzume could say anything, a rock shattered a nearby window and Sora and Riku jumped through. They held their weapons at the ready and Lady Suzume yelled, "Sora! Riku-kun! Stop this at once!"_

_They didn't respond. Instead, they glared intently at Vanille._

"_M-Maybe…Maybe it's the drawing, Kairi," Naminé said to her host._

_Vanille summoned fire to her hands and the boys gasped. _

"_Destroy the drawing! Destroy it, Kairi!" Vanille yelled._

_The boys charged at Vanille once more and Lady Suzume casted an Aero spell. The winds bounced the boys back and Kairi tore the drawing out of her sketchbook. She held it over the flames Vanille summoned and watched the sketch burn. _

_Once it turned to ashes, the boys' aggression died. _

"_Huh…? Ma, who's that?" Sora asked, pointing at Kairi._

_Roxas looked at Kiba and the two Anima discussed Kairi's identity._

"_Well, she's pretty," Roxas said._

"_But I don't know who she is. Do you, Riku?" the wolf Anima asked his host._

"_I dunno," Riku replied._

_Vanille glanced at Kairi and then at Lady Suzume. _

"_I believe it's time for us to go now," she told her._

* * *

"Kairi! Sora! Are you guys okay?" Serah asked.

Kairi came out of her trance and shook her head. She looked at her hands and noticed the Tracker glowing brightly. The teen looked to Sora and he was shaking his head as well, coming out of a trance it seemed.

"What…What happened?" Sora asked.

"I don't know. But…you two didn't move or say anything for the past five minutes," Serah replied.

Kairi looked down at the Tracker and Lord Hayato asked, "And…Why did Master Eraqus give you that?"

"Don't tell him," Naminé whispered.

Kairi ignored her and said, "He said that I will need to use it to find others like and are connected me."

She opened it and saw the needle pointing at Sora. The needle also pointed at the symbol that looked like a sunny sky. Finding it odd, Kairi said, "So…this symbol means 'Sora'…which is…'Sky'."

Particles of light blue escaped from the crystalline compass and filled the room. The particles entered Sora and a flash of light blinded everyone. Once everyone recovered, they gasped as Sora was holding a key-like sword in his hands. The key-like weapon, with a golden handle and silver blade, made everyone in the room mutter, "Keyblade…"

"Wait, that's a Keyblade?" Snow asked.

"Yes…Then that means…Sora…You are among the Keys that will stop Sanctum and save the world," Lord Hayato said.

"I…I am?" Sora asked.

His father nodded and looked at Kairi.

"And…she is truly the one. One of seven who will help you," Lord Hayato said.

Lady Suzume burst into tears and ran downstairs into the living quarters, leaving everyone worried.

* * *

_In a massive, technologically advance megacity, a young, red haired teen walked around in the congested streets, wearing clothes odd to the region. Instead of wearing clothes that were made for street wear, she wore clothes that suggested nobility. Her blue eyes darted around, trying to take in the many sights of the area._

"_Wow! I've never seen this many skyscrapers in Radiant Garden!" she exclaimed._

_Hearing panting, she turned to see her two retainers rush behind her. They stopped and the man sputtered, "W-Why…Why did you run? We were going to see the sight later, Your Highness."_

"_Chevalier Delmar, you two are bound to me. If I want to see the sights, then you'll have to come with me. And why didn't you guys keep up," the princess said._

"_Chev is right. We're supposed to see the sights later, Princess Moanna," the second retainer, female, told her._

"_Miss Heloísa Blanchefleur, I am 15! I'm not a kid anymore!" Princess Moanna huffed._

_The two retainers shook their head and followed their princess farther down the streets, towards a stadium…_

* * *

"WAH!" Kairi yelled, nearly jumping.

Calming herself, she remembered that she was in the Nakashima's ship and in one of the guest rooms with Serah. Her guardian was asleep in a nearby bed and didn't hear her wake. Naminé changed herself into a small cat and hoped onto Kairi's pillow.

"Wh-What was that about?" she asked.

"I…I don't know. It…It felt…" Kairi said.

The sound of a piano playing was heard and the tune was quite familiar.

"What is that?" Naminé asked.

Kairi shrugged and left the room, following the sound. As she walked in the darkened halls of the seafaring vessel, the sound became louder the closer she came to the staircase leading to the lowest deck. Kairi, against any misgivings from Naminé and grabbing the Tracker from under her pillow, headed down into the engine room.

There, she saw that the area was indeed just an engine room as there were many machines that kept the ship running. One machine kept the ship's lights on and was powered by a crystal of yellow light, known as a Light Crystal. Another cleaned the water and was powered by a dark blue crystal, known as a Water Crystal. The heat was provided by a machine fueled by a red Fire Crystal. A green Wind Crystal kept the winds around the ship favorable and was held in a compass-like appliance.

The piano music was growing louder the closer Kairi walked to the Wind Crystal. When she was close enough, she saw Sora sitting at and playing on a small piano. Roxas and he hadn't noticed her presence and Kairi scanned the instrument.

It had many carvings in its wood, most dedicated to the wind and sky. Other carvings were the names of those who were in the family. Sora's name was on it and Kairi muttered, "I didn't know that they played pianos…"

Sora yelped and Roxas yelled in Elbanese, "W-What are you doing here? How long have you been standing there?"

"Uh…We just got here," Kairi told him, replying in the same language.

She asked if she could sit and Sora obliged. After sitting, Kairi muttered, "I…I couldn't sleep."

"Had a nightmare?" Sora asked.

The teen nodded.

"Well, I don't mind if ya watch. Just don't touch the keys," Sora told her.

He started playing again…a somewhat somber song and Kairi felt great familiarity with the tune. An unknown song popped into her head and she sung, "_Ne perrdatis luces…Canctum sanctum nunc achepite…Oro…canto…orbis…Fiat lux…"_

Sora stopped playing and Kairi stopped her singing.

"Uh…What kind of song was that?" he asked.

"Yeah, you sounded like you were in a trance or something," Roxas added, flying onto the top of the piano.

"I did? I was just singing…" Kairi asked.

Naminé could only make a subtle shrug as a cat. Small particles of multicolored light filled the air and the two noticed the crystals' reaction to Kairi's singing. Getting an idea, Sora said, "Sing some more. I'll play along."

"Uh…Do you think that's a good idea? What if Mom and Dad wake up?" Roxas asked.

"It'll be fine," Sora said.

Roxas huffed and told his host, "Well, the last time you said that, those Heartless showed up and nearly killed us when we were exploring that cave in Fynn!"

"SHH!" Sora shushed.

The teen boy began playing the piano again. This time, the tune was more upbeat but in the same key of the last song Kairi sung. The tune brought with it great sadness, but Kairi hadn't a clue why.

Before she could tell him to stop, the Tracker flew out of her hands and into the air. It began absorbing the light from the crystals and began glowing brighter with every passing second. After several moments, the light engulfed the room and the teens covered their eyes.

Once it died down, Kairi and Sora found themselves surrounded by a void. Their _Anima _were nowhere to be found and repeated attempts at calling to them failed. A crystal appeared in Kairi's hands and a star-shaped sigil surrounded the pair. The star was surrounded by seven small circles. The first of them had a bright column of light shoot out of it and into the void.

Sora's Keyblade summoned itself and a keyhole appeared. The weapon forced Sora to lift it to the hole and a piercing light shot out of it. A sound of rumbling filled the air and the two looked up. Fire rained from the heavens and a bloodcurdling snarl accompanied it.

Kairi quickly held onto Sora and he hugged her, seemingly trying to protect her. The fires died and the two saw a blonde haired woman in all white approach them. She, looking at them with serene, blue eyes, spoke with a soft voice.

"_Ah…The two of the Keys I have chosen…"_ she said.

"Who…Who are you?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah…And where's our _Anima_?" Sora added.

The woman smiled and replied, _"I am Cosmos…Mother of All…Source of Light and Life itself."_

The two released each other from there hug, realizing they were talking to the one they worshipped and feeling much safer. Mother Cosmos nodded and told them_, "You all will save this world…and all the others that I rescued from the darkness. Long ago, my errant children wished to find my realm…not to find me, but to become gods themselves, thus introducing the darkness you call Heartless into the worlds."_

"'Worlds'? There's…more than one?" Kairi asked.

The Goddess nodded.

"So…They were right! I knew it! I called it! Riku's gotta pay me 800 munny! I won the bet! Woo!" Sora exclaimed.

The Goddess looked displeased and Sora quieted his excitement.

"Uh…I guess that's a no…" he muttered.

"_The deeds of your ancestors created a monster that thrives on darkness and…this monster threatens to destroy all. You…Kairi…and you Sora…are among the thirteen I have chosen. Six Keybearers and Seven Princesses with Hearts of Pure Light. The Tracker that was given to you, Kairi, will indeed lead your guardians, you and Sora to those that are in connection to this fate."_

"_But be warned, there are many that will try to stop you in fulfilling your destiny, mainly the powers that be in your world that wish to test my patience. But fear not, for I will give to you what will protect you. Hold out your hand," _the Goddess said.

Kairi obeyed and Mother Cosmos held her right hand with hers.

"_The power to banish the darkness dwells within you…Journey forth and find the others…_" she said.

The Goddess released her hand and a Keyblade of floral design appeared in Kairi's right hand.

"_By the Tracker and your deeds, shall the Keys reveal themselves to you,_" Mother Cosmos told her.

Light engulfed the void, emanating from the Goddess Herself.

* * *

"Kairi! Sora! Wake up!"

Kairi opened her eyes, finding that she was lying on the floor in the engine room. She looked up and saw that Sora had collapsed on the piano. Feeling something in her right hand, the teen glanced at it and saw the Keyblade from her vision.

'So…it wasn't a dream?' Kairi thought.

Snow and Serah helped her up while Lord Hayato and others from his clan woke up Sora. He was just as confused as Kairi as to what happened. Serah handed Kairi the Tracker and asked, "What happened?"

"I…I don't know. I came down here because Sora was playing on that piano and then the Tracker reacted to my singing…" Kairi started.

"Singing?" Snow said, bewildered.

Serah looked sternly at her ward and told her, "Do not sing. Please."

"Why not?" Sora asked.

"Uh, you don't remember the crystals reacting to her voice?" Roxas asked, staring at his host.

"And how the Tracker went out of control?" Naminé added, looking at Sora.

Serah turned back to Kairi and repeated, "Kairi, whatever you do, do NOT sing. Please."

Kairi agreed not to, but didn't get why.

* * *

_Meanwhile, off the western coast of Gaia, 9 a.m.…_

The Nomadic Wolf Nakayama clan had spent a day sailing away from the western coast of Gaia. Riku, bored out of his wits, began exploring his family's ship. The ship, in similar design to that of the Nakashima clan, was rather large and enabled the exploration.

He stopped in the ship's kitchen area when Lady Chiyo, noticing what her son was doing, said to him, "Riku, if you have nothing left to do, you can always spar with the others."

"I've already done that," Riku replied, looking through the icebox.

"Well, you can always do your chores. You hardly ever get around to doing that," Lady Chiyo commented.

Riku, remembering the chore of cleaning out the ship's bathrooms, shuddered and said, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Lady Chiyo, worried, said to him, "Riku, you must learn to be more responsible. You'll have to lead our clan one day."

"Mom, don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll fulfill what Dad started," Riku told her.

Lady Chiyo smiled but the smile faded once the ship's alarm began blaring. One of the clansmen ran into the kitchen, shouting, "Enemy airships are approaching, ma'am!"

"Are they Sanctum or the Empire?" Lady Chiyo asked.

"We don't know, but…Oof!" the clansman yelled when a missile hit the Nakayama ship, knocking the three to the ground.

"Riku, go and get your things," Lady Chiyo ordered Riku.

"But, Mom, we should fight back," Riku said.

Ignoring him, Lady Chiyo told the clansman to prepare any and all lifeboats.

"Yes, ma'am," he said and left.

Noticing that Riku and Kiba didn't move an inch, Lady Chiyo ordered, "Riku, get your things and head to the nearest lifeboat."

Riku was about to say something when another missile hit the ship, causing it to rock the ship further.

Over the loudspeaker, another panicking clansman shouted at Lady Chiyo, "Ma'am, we've been overrun by enemy troops. What are your or…Aah!"

"Riku, go now!" Lady Chiyo bellowed.

Riku, rejecting the notion of leaving his mother defenseless, said, "I'm not going without you!"

The approaching sound of gunshots and metallic footsteps caused the woman to dread.

"Riku, you're now the last of our bloodline. You must go to Macalania and tell Lord Rikuto about what happened. And…I can't bear to lose my son to the Empire. Do not tell me to endure that, Riku. Do not. Now go!" Lady Chiyo said, casting the escape spell called Teleport.

Once Riku and Kiba were gone, the matriarch turned to her son's pursuers. The soldiers filed into the area and a boy wearing a red and black organic outfit entered. A black helmet masked his face, making Lady Chiyo quite nervous. His _Anima_ was that of a hawk with yellow eyes. He looked around and noticed that the only one in the room was the woman.

"You Chiyo Nakayama? The leader of the Nakayama Wolf clan?" the boy asked.

"Yes, what of it?" Lady Chiyo asked, with her _Anima_, Mizuki, growling the whole time.

"You and your whole clan are hereby under arrest," the boy said.

"What? Why? What are the charges?" Lady Chiyo yelled as she was grabbed by two soldiers.

Mizuki, reacting to Chiyo's anger and fear for Riku's safety, lunged at the boy, teeth bared and at the ready. The masked boy lifted his right hand and a black and red key-shaped weapon appeared. Once Mizuki was close enough, the boy struck her on the head, nearly rendering both host and _Anima _unconscious. He then grabbed the _Anima_ by the throat, causing Lady Chiyo to gag.

Whispering due to the little breath she had, Lady Chiyo pleaded, "Let her go."

Ignoring her, the boy continued to choke Mizuki, causing Chiyo to lose consciousness. Once she had passed out, the boy dropped Mizuki. He looked at the soldiers and ordered, "Take her and the survivors to the airship. We gotta get them to Sanctum."

"But, Prince Vanitas, we haven't found…" one of the soldiers started.

Vanitas, looking at the soldier, said, "Didn't you hear what I said, idiot? Go and take them to the airship."

The soldier, apparently a captain, said to the others, "We're taking them back to the airship under Prince Vanitas' orders."

The group filed out of the kitchen, taking out the unconscious Lady Chiyo and Mizuki.

Vanitas, staying behind, looked at the now broken window and said, "So, he escaped. Eh, whatever. I just wanna finish this and get home."

* * *

_There's the new and improved chapter three. This time Sora's family, Riku's family, Vanitas and their patron goddess get their introductions._

_-miano53_


	6. Chapter Four: Running

_Unlike the last drafts, the introduction of OUAT (Once Upon a Time) characters will be presented earlier. Also other Disney characters will make their introductions earlier than before._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_The Hasegawa family has a long history of being in Imperial Politics. The first of the Hasegawa's was supposedly the first King of this land. But, the history of the Old World has been corrupted. So, no one knows if the stories are really true."_

_-Master Eraqus Torino on "The History of the Radiant Empire"_

Chapter Four: Running

_Unknown castle…_

_A young, brown-haired woman ran through the halls of a dark castle. The woman, wearing white and blue, kept looking behind her as she ran. Her Anima, a small white cat, followed and said, "Belle! Wait!"_

"_We have to run! The darkness is coming straight for this castle. I have to tell Beast, Michelle," the woman, Belle, told her._

_The Anima shook her head and the pair stopped in front of a large elaborate door. She knocked on the door repeatedly and heard nothing. Belle turned to see the darkness approaching and kicked open the door. _

_In the next, nearly destroyed bedroom, was a hulking beast. It looked like a hybrid of a lion, antelope and a goat. The creature wore pants and a tattered, purple cape. It looked at her and said in a deep voice, "What's the matter?"_

"_B-Beast…so much darkness. It's coming this way!" Belle told him._

_The creature, Beast, looked at her and asked in annoyance, "What darkness?"_

_Belle pointed at the door and hid behind the hulking brute. Beast looked at the door and said, "I see nothing."_

"_B-But it's there! It's right there! The darkness is engulfing the castle! We have to leave!" Belle yelled._

_Beast stared at Belle, wondering if she was hallucinating. Before he could say anything to her, a roar cut through the air. A teacup, a teapot, a candelabra and a clock hopped towards the Beast and Belle._

"_Master, there's a large monster attacking the castle gates! What do we do? What do we do?" the clock yelled._

_The candelabra stared at him and said, "We must fight to defend Madame Belle and the rose, Cogsworth!"_

_Cogsworth scoffed and told the candle holder, "You said it yourself, Lumiere, that you're a 'lover not a fighter'."_

"_Yes, but we have to protect Madame Belle and the rose or else we'll…" Lumiere said._

_A crash was heard and the teapot, known as Mrs. Potts, looked at Beast and said, "Take the rose and Miss Belle. The soldiers will stop it."_

"_Yeah! Don't worry about us!" the teacup, Chip, told his master._

_Belle held onto Beast and a bright light surrounded her. Moments later, the pair disappeared along with an encapsulated rose._

_The enchanted items quickly hid in whatever they could as darkness engulfed the area…_

* * *

_May 31__st__, 6 a.m., Port Luca…_

About a day later, the Nakashima ship arrived in the waters near Port Luca at the southern tip of the continent of Spira. The large port city-state was nearly completely made of white marble and had four districts. The first was the docks that nearly encircled the city. Many boats from the other countries and city-states arrived at there every day, providing wealth and necessities to the city and the rest of the continent.

The second of the districts was the stadium. A water sport known as "blitzball" was played there and the Luca Goers was the city's very popular team. The third was the residential district. A theatre was located there as well and was frequented by the city's residents.

The last was the outskirts. A staircase that led to the highway called the Mi'ihen Highroad was there, connected by a bridge and another set of stairs that led back to the city.

Sora, Kairi, her guardians, the Nakashima clan and their _Anima_ had filed out of the ship. The majority of the clan went to go get supplies for a long voyage while Sora, Kairi, Snow and Serah had the task to find the Nakayama clan.

After leaving the group, Sora told Kairi, "So, the Tracker should find Riku, right?"

"Yeah, I think so…if he's one of the ones that are connected to me," Kairi said, looking at it.

"If he is, you should try using it so we can find him," Serah told her.

"Okay, I'll try," Kairi said, opening up the Tracker.

The needle within the crystalline compass began moving. It stopped once it was in the middle of the images of the dark mass and the blue, heart-shaped moon.

"Huh? That's odd," Kairi said.

"What is?" Snow asked her.

"Well, it's in the middle of a dark mass and a blue moon. And it's pointing north." Kairi explained.

"Well, we should follow it," Roxas said, perching himself on Sora's left shoulder.

"I don't know about this," Naminé said, worried.

Following the direction the Tracker was pointing to, the group of four headed into the city. As the four walked around, Kairi noticed something was a bit odd. There were hundreds of PSICOM soldiers walking in the streets. Some check the early rising residents' passports while others minded their own business and proceeded with their patrols.

'Are they looking for someone?' Kairi thought.

When the four and their _Anima _were close enough to the outskirts of town, Kairi yelped when the Tracker began glowing brightly. They kept running in the direction where the Tracker was pointing to and stumbled onto the outskirts of the city. There, they found nothing really worthy of note, except for the staircase that lead to the Mi'ihen Highroad.

"Hmm, I guess we were off by a bit," Sora said, disappointed.

"Wait a second," Kairi said as the needle of the Tracker began to move.

It suddenly stopped and pointed in the direction of a group of garbage cans.

The others noticed and Snow said with great disappointment, "Aw! A trash can?"

Orion then added, "Yup, the thing's broken."

Kairi ignored the two and walked over to the trash can. What she saw frightened her. Riku and Kiba, the teen and _Anima_ she had met before, were there and was seemingly unconscious.

"Guys, over here!" she cried.

They ran over and gasped when they saw Riku. The silver-haired teen was badly injured as he had multiple cuts and bruises on his face, arms and neck. There was a puncture wound on his left side, causing Kairi to worry a lot. Sora, not seeing that, grabbed Riku by his shoulder and began shaking him awake.

"Riku, wake up! Dang it! Wake up!" Sora yelled in Eblanese.

After three shakes, Kairi screamed at Sora, "What are you doing?"

"What? I'm just trying to wake him up," Sora said innocently.

Serah, confused, asked, "What did he say?"

"I said that I was trying to wake him up," Sora told her.

"That's a weird way to do it. Why not use a Phoenix Down or a potion?" Snow asked.

Sora looked dumbfounded and Roxas muttered, "Didn't think of that…"

The Tracker suddenly began to glow with a bright light. The particles surrounded Riku and began to rapidly heal his wounds. Once the glow dissipated, Riku woke up with a start and began looking around. He looked up and saw the group of four.

"What the…? What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"We're here. Saving you," Naminé replied.

"Saving…? Oh yeah. Sora, I need to see your dad," Riku said.

Sora nodded and led the party of five back to town.

* * *

_Luca, port, Nakashima ship, 7 p.m.…_

In the meeting room of the ship, Lord Hayato had asked Riku about the whereabouts of his clan. The teen sighed and began to explain.

"While we were heading for Luca, PSICOM airships came and began attacking my clan's ship. After everyone was captured and we were thrown off the ship, we managed to float to Luca's harbor and were rescued by one of the sailors. But when they found out about Kiba, they chased us all the way to the outskirts of town. That's all I can remember," Riku explained.

"So that's why you had all those bruises and cuts," Sora said.

Riku nodded his head and Lady Suzume noticed that Kairi was visibly shaken.

"Are you alright, child?" she asked her.

Kairi, coming out of her thoughts, replied with "I'm fine."

Lord Hayato saw that it was getting late and said, "Alright, everyone get your rest. We're heading north on tomorrow."

* * *

Around midnight, Kairi couldn't get to sleep. Every time she tried, she would toss and turn. In a room that she shared with Serah and a few of Sora's female cousins, Kairi opened her eyes and looked to Serah's bed.

Nora and Serah were fast asleep. Naminé, wanting to leave, whispered, "Let's go, Kairi."

The _Anima_ changed her shape into that of a small dove and perched on Kairi's shoulder. The pair left the room and headed into the halls. She was close to the door when she heard, "What are you doing?"

Snow had found her and folded his arms. He shook his head and said, "If you wanted to leave, all you had to do was tell us."

"Yeah. Why are you leaving without us?" Orion asked.

Kairi tried to answer when Serah appeared. She looked at her and said, "And you tried to sneak away. Why?"

Kairi then muttered, "I…I don't know if…I can…I don't want people getting hurt because of me."

"But…didn't you say that you had to find others that are like you?" Serah asked.

The teen turned away from her guardian and Naminé replied with, "Sora's one. But…getting anyone else involved in this will only make things worse. They already hate the nomads and if anyone found out that they were protecting us, then…"

"So, you want us to come with?"

The group noticed Sora and Riku. They had apparently woken up from the conversation.

Riku looked at Kairi and then at her guardians.

"So…you're leaving?" he asked.

Kairi nodded.

"Then I'm coming with you. The Goddess said that there's supposed to be six Keys and seven Hearts of Light. Since I'm a Key and you're a Heart of Light, I'm coming with you," Sora said.

Kairi smiled and Snow said to Sora, "Don't try anything…I'll be watching you…"

He made a motion with his fingers that indicating that he was going to keep a close eye on the boy. Sora saluted him and Riku added, "I'm coming."

"Why?" Snow asked.

Riku held out his right hand and a black and red, bat wing-like Keyblade appeared. The "teeth" of the blade was a single white wing and a keychain with a red and black heart charm was connected to the hilt. The appearance of the weapon caused for Sora to yell, "You got one too?"

"Shh, you idiot!" Roxas shushed his host.

The sound of gunfire was heard and the five heard many of the Nakashima clan members awaken. They rushed into the halls and Lord Hayato noticed them. Lady Suzume followed and quickly gave the group bags of essentials.

"There's a back exit. Sora, you know where it is, right?" Lady Suzume asked.

Sora nodded and Lord Hayato said, "Go! We will follow."

There was uncertainty in his face and Sora said, "You're lying."

Riku grabbed his friend and yelled, "We gotta go now!"

Sora begrudgingly did as he was told, leading the group to the back of the ship. There, a small opening was unlocked by Sora kicking a hidden button. Snow and Riku were the first to enter the escape hatch. Serah was next and Kairi was about to follow when she noticed Sora didn't look as if he was going.

"Sora, c'mon!" Kairi cried.

"I-I-I can't just leave them behind!" Sora yelled.

"They'll be fine. Let's go," Naminé told him.

Sora sighed and the pair went down the escape hatch, falling into the water. After swimming back onto the docks, the five saw PSICOM troops fighting the Nakashima, claiming that they were pirates. The local rebel groups joined in the fighting, wanting to save the nomads.

Remembering that they were supposed to leave, Kairi took the initiative. She ran off and the others followed. As they began leaving the city, the group hid behind the occasional box and in alleyways.

Once at the entrance to the Mi'ihen Highroad, the five stopped and hid behind some trees. PSICOM soldiers stopped and the group heard one of them say, "Captain Nabaat, the nomads have been captured, but there was no sign of the Princess or her guardians."

The group saw the captain, a woman named Jihl Nabaat. She wore the green and khaki uniform of the Sanctum's elite and her long, light brown hair trailed down her back. Glasses were on her face as well as light makeup. Her weapon was that of a baton and her _Anima_ was of a silver fox.

"You said that you didn't find the Princess? Ultimecia said that she would be with that clan of Hawks," Jihl told her troops.

They immediately looked nervous and someone said, "So ya didn't find the girl? Man, I just wanted to go home."

The five and the soldiers saw a boy in a black and red mask. His _Anima _of a black hawk with yellow eyes looked around in a menacing manner at everyone.

"Man, I thought PSICOM would be better than this…" he muttered.

Another legion of troops appeared, bringing Sora's mother and father as well as a few of his aunts and uncles. They wore armor in the same color scheme as the newcomer's clothes and had Sora's family bound in rope. Their _Anima_ were locked away in cages and were in a panic.

"Where's the Princess and the Keys? We know you had the three on board," the boy asked.

"Vanitas, this is my investigation. The empire has no right to interrogate these people, but we, the Sanctum, do," Jihl told him.

"It's 'Prince Vanitas', cur," Vanitas muttered darkly.

He then turned his attention back to Sora's parents and Kairi could see Sora looking horrified. The boy did something that nearly made everyone gasp. He summoned a Keyblade.

Vanitas pointed it at Lord Hayato and said, "Just tell us where they are and everything will be fine."

The man spat at the boy's feet and yelled in Elbanese, "I'm not telling you anything, imperial scum!"

"Alright then. Fine," Vanitas said, seemingly understanding the man.

He held his Keyblade above Lord Hayato's head and, before Jihl or anyone could stop him, decapitated the man. His_ Anima_ disappeared in a burst of blue light, indicating his death. Lady Suzume screamed and the imperial troops aimed their guns at the remaining Nakashima.

"W-What? What are you doing?" Jihl yelled.

Vanitas casted a Silence and an Immobilize spell, causing the captain to lose her voice and freeze in her tracks. He then looked at the PSICOM soldiers and none would dare stand again him and his powerful magic.

"They are the hated Nakashima clan, the ones who the Primarch himself said has to die. I'm doing you a favor by taking them out. Then you can just round up those kids and send them to Ultimecia," Vanitas said to her.

Jihl tried to move and the prince gave the order to his troops to kill the remaining adult Nakashima. Guns fired and, one by one, the adults dropped dead.

Sora was about to go and attack the imperial prince when Riku grabbed him.

"Sora! No!" Riku whispered.

"He killed my parents!" Sora screamed.

The noise caused for the enemy to glance in their direction and the Tracker began to glow again in Kairi's hands. The light engulfed them, rescuing them from their would-be-captors.

* * *

_Wednesday, June 1__st__, 2 a.m., Mi'ihen Highroad…_

After the light dissipated, the five found themselves in a grassy plain. A large dirt road heading north was nearby and ruins dotted the landscape. The crescent moon was in the sky and looked quite beautiful, despite the horrific scene that played out in Luca.

Sora wailed, falling to the ground and hitting it.

"WHY? Why?" he screamed.

Kairi felt the need to console him, but didn't know what to say. Instead, she began to cry as she was completely disturbed by Prince Vanitas' lack of restraint or remorse.

Riku, however, said to him, "I'm sorry, but I had to."

Roxas glared at Kiba and Riku, yelling, "If you had let us fight, this wouldn't have happened! Mom would still be there and…and…!"

"You would've been killed. All of us would've been," Snow said harshly.

Sora stopped crying and looked at Snow.

"It wouldn't have worked. That would've put Kairi in danger and I'm not letting anyone do that," Snow told him.

"Needless to say, charging in at that Keybearer would have been stupid, Mr. Sora," Orion added.

"It…It wouldn't have been! I could've…I could…" Sora cried.

Serah placed a hand on his right should and muttered, "We're sorry. But…We can't let you, Kairi or Riku get killed if the Goddess wants to use you."

"Why did she choose us? We didn't ask for any of this!" Kairi yelled.

The teen sniffled and added, "I…I didn't want any of this. I just wanted to travel and find my uncle. But now…all those people dead because…because of me."

Snow was about to console her when the scenery suddenly changed to an interior of an old hut. There were bottles filled with plants, pickled foods and animals. There were bottles hanging from the ceiling, making the light in the room different colors. Gas lamps and candles provided light in the relatively dim hut.

A table filled with stones, books, maps and wine bottles was in the center of the room. A fireplace, wooden cabinets and sink in one of the corners made that corner look like a small kitchen. Two other rooms, which were the owner's bathroom and bedroom, were filled with things such as staves, creepy dolls and books. Chairs lined the walls of the hut, making it seem as if the owner was somewhat hospitable.

When the five shocked teens were finished looking around, Roxas asked, "Where are we? Why are we in this ramshackle hut?"

"Ya be in my house."

In panic, everyone looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

"Who's there?" Sora asked.

A woman of dark-skinned complexion wearing a long, tattered, yellow ballroom gown had entered the living room via teleportation. Her brown hair was in dreadlocks and had many feathers in it for decoration. A heart-shaped locket was around her neck and had an engraving of a person's face on it. She was holding the Tracker in her hands, causing Kairi to become defensive.

"Wh-What are you doing with that?" she asked.

Serah and Snow readied themselves for a fight when the woman told them in a heavy islander's accent, "Calm down. I ain't no enemy."

She sat at the table and placed the Tracker on it. The woman motioned for them to join her. With trepidation, the five did and she looked at Kairi first.

"Ya be Kairi Hasegawa, niece to Lord Ansem Hasegawa in Departure. And that hamster be Naminé," she said.

'Uh…How did she know that?' Kairi thought.

The woman turned to Riku and Kiba, saying, "Ya be Riku Nakayama, the late Lord Koichi and Lady Chiyo Nakayama's boy. And that be Kiba."

Riku looked confused and the woman turned her attention to Sora and Roxas.

"Ya be Sora Nakashima, son to the late Lord Hayato and the late Lady Suzume Nakashima. And that be Roxas, your _Anima_," the woman stated.

"Uh…Is she a witch?" Roxas asked.

Lastly, she turned her attention to Snow and Serah.

"Ya be Kairi's guardians, Snow Villiers and Serah Farron. And those be your _Anima_, Orion and Nora," the woman said.

Serah nervously asked, "Um…Who are you and how do you know all that?"

The woman smiled, saying, "There be many names that I go by. The one that most people call me is…'Tia Dalma.'"

Her _Anima_, a white crab, began walking along the table and towards the Tracker. Kairi saw and quickly snatched up the item.

"So, we can call you 'Tia Dalma?'" Serah asked.

"Yes, if it's easier for ya to remember" Tia Dalma replied.

Riku, not trusting her, asked, "Tia Dalma, where are we?"

"I just said it. You be in my house," she replied.

"I know that. But, _where _are we?" he asked, getting a bit impatient.

"In the jungles of Kilika," Tia Dalma said.

'Kilika? Kilika Island?' Kairi thought.

Tia Dalma sighed and looked at Sora.

"I am sorry for your loss, Sora. But Snow be right. If ya had fought that prince, ya would've died, puttin' Kairi in danger," Tia Dalma told him.

Sora tried to fight back tears and the woman said, "I know ya want to, but ya can't. For now, rest. I'll be explainin' everythin' in the mornin'."

The group, not knowing what to do, took up the woman's offer to rest.

* * *

_Thanks so far to anyone who's reading this still. And yes, there were a lot of references to the Golden Compass in the beginning. Since I've revised it, it shouldn't be as many as it was before. And this chapter's a lot sadder than the previous draft…Man…Poor Sora._

_Thanks again and review please._

_-miano53_


	7. Chapter Five: Explanations

"_The history of the Sanctum is the history of the New World itself. The Sanctum appeared to be as a guide to the lost to the Goddess. When the Radiant Empire was established in the year 1492 N.W., the Sanctum began to war with the ruling power (who wanted the people to have free thought) over the truth of Kingdom Hearts. Once the ruling family was usurped in 1834 N.W., the Sanctum's power increased to match the Empire's power and within months began to rule over it."_

_-Lord Maechen, a scholar of the History of Spira and the World_

Chapter Five: Explanations

_Unknown…_

"_Princess Aurora! We have to go now!"_

_Princess Aurora, sixteen-years-old, looked to a young man clad in noble's attire with her blue eyes and saw his Anima of a Golden Retriever. She had been brushing her golden hair after putting on peasant's dress of grey and black. Her Anima was that of a bluebird and she perched herself on the princess's right shoulder._

"_Uh…Why are you wearing that, Prince Philip?" Aurora's Anima asked._

_Prince Philip, age seventeen, looked at what he was wearing and said, "I think it's fine."_

"_Yes, but it's not suitable for hiding from Maleficent," an older woman clad in red said, coming into the room._

_She was followed by a woman in blue and a woman in green. Butterflies rested on their hats, indicating their Anima. The woman in green said, "Flora, shouldn't we use magic to change them?"_

_Flora shook her head and said, "Maleficent will be expecting that. And the guards will only buy us a limited amount of time, Fauna."_

_The third woman, Merryweather, told the royal pair, "Okay. Just head outside, get on Samson and ride off. Don't tell anyone your real names, use codenames. Like Phil and Briar Rose! And, Princess, whatever you do…DON'T sing."_

"_Alright. We'll do just that. Auro…I mean, 'Briar Rose', let's be off," Prince Philip said, using a secret passage to lead the princess out of the castle._

_A crashing sound was heard and the three women used their magic to re-conceal the passage's entrance. Darkness billowed into the room and the women escaped, using teleportation magic…_

* * *

_June 1__st__, 10 a.m., Kilika Island, jungle…_

Waking up in the home of Tia Dalma after having a nightmare, Kairi looked around and nearly panicked. She then remembered the dream and sighed. It was of a castle inhabited by a beast, a woman and several magical items that was attacked by darkness. The woman escaped with the beast, but the items were lost in the consuming dark mass.

Turning to the sleeping on mats Serah, Snow, Sora and Riku, Kairi became sullen. She remembered the events that she thought had caused the nightmare, the death of Sora's family.

'I…Sora lost his whole family because they were looking for me…' Kairi thought.

"That was their fate. To protect ya, their son and his friend," Tia Dalma said, appearing at the table.

She waved her hand and the table was cleared. She did it again and a small breakfast of fish and rice appeared. The smell awakened the others and Sora looked sullen.

"Mom used to make this for me…" he mumbled.

The group sat at the table and sullenly ate their food. As they did, Kairi asked, "So…Why are you helping us? You don't know us that well."

"Ah, that be a question that needs answerin'," Tia Dalma said, her _Anima _hopping onto the table as she sat at the table.

Tia Dalma began her explanation of what happened to the teens so far. Leaning back in the chair, she said, "Ya know o' the prophecy o' Yen Sid II, correct?"

"Yen Sid?" Kairi asked.

She looked at her others and they were equally as confused.

"Yen Sid II was a sorcerer, prophet and one o' the most powerful Keyblade Masters in existence," Tia Dalma explained.

"You know about the Keyblade?" Sora asked.

"Yes and I be knowin' about the prophecy Yen Sid spoke of. The prophecy states that around this time, the Keyblade will choose' the young o'er the old. The Keyblade will lead those to the Realm o' Kingdom Hearts, where there be untold energy inside. And that with that energy, a terrible evil they be defeatin'," Tia Dalma explained.

"In the old times, thousands o' people holdin' Keyblades went searchin' for it. When they thought they found a place that was Kingdom Hearts, they began warrin' with each other. Countless blood was spilt during those years, causin' e'eryone to call that war 'The Keyblade War.' When the old Sanctum found out 'bout it, they tried to send troops to stop the war. But, once they had arrived, Kingdom Hearts was opened and a great darkness poured out o' it, sendin' the whole World into darkness for a more than a thousand years."

"The Goddess Cosmos saw this and began weepin' like only mothers could weep. Her tears o' Light fell onto the darkened World and enveloped the survivors o' the darkness. That light enveloped them and created the _Anima_. The _Anima's_ Light brought back the World, but the Sanctum, fearin' another Keyblade War, forbade e'eryone to mention the Keyblade, Pure Light and Kingdom Hearts," Tia Dalma explained.

"And what does that have to do with us?" Riku asked.

"Ya have the _Cacciatore_, yes?" Tia Dalma asked, picking up the Tracker.

"Yeah," Kairi replied.

"The _Cacciatore_ produces auras o' Pure Light when it's close to a Keyblade wielder. It can be also used tell the truth 'bout some things," she said, giving it back to Kairi.

"What things?" Serah asked.

"In order to find that truth, ya gotta hold a question ya want answered lightly, like a small thought," Tia Dalma added.

"And the prophecy…?" Riku asked, still not trusting her.

"It has e'erythin' to do with you three. The Keyblade makes a mark on those who it chooses," Tia Dalma explained.

"And that mark being…?" Kiba asked.

Tia Dalma looked at Sora and said, "Let me see your hand."

Sora reluctantly gave her his right and hand his Keyblade was summoned.

"That's the mark. Now, Riku, ya should've received your mark as well. The _Cacciatore _pointed to ya o'er two weeks ago," Tia Dalma explained, letting go of Sora's hand.

Riku nodded and said, "Yeah. The 'Way to Dawn'. I figured as much."

"That be a sign that y'all are the Keys that'll lead this World back to Light," Tia Dalma added.

"It is?" Kairi asked.

Tia Dalma nodded and Riku asked, "But, why are you helping us? What's in it for you?"

Tia Dalma smiled and said, "I be wantin' the Sanctum to know its place. The Primarchs been oversteppin' his bounds by goin' into politics these past 500 years. And besides, no one else can train ya in magic like I can."

"So, _you're_ going to train us? I'm pretty sure we don't need it," Snow asked.

He pointed at the nearby kitchen and chanted, "Blizzard!"

A cold wind came from him and put a frost over the small area. Tia Dalma nodded and muttered, "Blizzaga."

The entire kitchen area was encased in ice and Snow looked rather…embarrassed.

"Well, he can't do that…" Serah mumbled.

"Like I said, I'll be teachin' ya how to use magic…powerful forms o' magic. 'Til then, ya five will be stayin' here. Ya can explore the island, but don't be goin' to town or the temple. And stay together. The Heartless here be a strong sort," Tia Dalmatold them.

She left, taking her plate of food further back into the home.

* * *

The island of Kilika was the largest of the islands that dotted the Naldoan Sea. The majority of the island was covered in jungle and a single stone road led to the temple in the deepest areas. Other smaller roads were connected to each other and led to town. A single river led from the sea and towards the mountains of the island. Small houses were along the river and were abandoned.

Slipping pass her guardians, Kairi went exploring the southern sections of the jungle, following the river. She stopped at what looked like an old bridge and opened the Tracker. Sitting down, Kairi began to look at the device and remembered what happened.

'I…I can't do this alone…And what truth is Tia Dalma talking about? It sounds like that book…What was it called? "Southern Lights"?' Kairi thought.

"Oh hi."

"WAAH!" Kairi screamed, not knowing where the voice came from.

She accidentally threw the Tracker into the river and screamed.

"Oh no!" Naminé said.

Kairi peered into the water and put her hand in it. She couldn't find the device, only water. Panicked, the girl stood up and looked around in fear.

"Um…Uh…What do I do? What do I do?" she muttered.

"Uh…Maybe Tia Dalma will find it for us…" Naminé told her, turning into a white cat.

"Uh…Is this it?"

Kairi looked down and saw the water stir. A hand popped out of it and Kairi screamed louder than normal. The hand came with a head and Kairi calmed herself.

A red-haired, blue eyed teen showed her face above the water and held the Tracker.

"H-Hey! That's mine!" Kairi yelled.

"Oh…I was just trying to give this back to you," the teen girl said.

She handed Kairi the Tracker and asked, "What are you doing in Kilika?"

"Uh…I…I don't know," Kairi told the odd teen.

The teen smiled and said, "I'm Ariel. And what's your name?"

"Kairi. Kairi Hasegawa," Kairi replied, to Naminé's chagrin.

Ariel looked confused, muttering, "Sound like a name from Eblan…Well, this is the first time I met a surface dweller, especially since my father doesn't want us near…"

"Kairi, get away from the water!"

A light sphere hit the water and the swimming teen hissed like a cat. She then jumped out of the water, revealing a fish-like bottom. The creature splashed into the water, swimming away.

"A…A mermaid…?" Naminé said.

"I…I thought that…." Kairi stammered.

Serah found her and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…But…that thing…" Naminé said.

Nora looked at Naminé and told her, "Just next time, stay with us, okay?"

"But…that…Ariel…She was trying to give me back the Tracker…" Kairi told her.

"Most mermaids in this area cannot be trusted…" Tia Dalma said, finding the pair.

She had a serious look and Kairi didn't know if her words were true. Ariel seemed nice, but Kairi couldn't be too sure.

"We be headin' to the temple at the crack o' dawn," Tia Dalma said.

She took the girls back to her hut, where the boys waited.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Everyone woke to the sounds of something hitting pots and pans. The teens saw that it was Tia Dalma and she yelled, "Time to get up!"

"Aw…I'm tired…." Snow moaned.

"I told y'all that we be startin' at the crack o' dawn," Tia Dalma told him.

Kairi rubbed her eyes and moaned. She had another dream where she had seen a princess in a kingdom being attacked by darkness. The princess was accompanied by a prince and three women who dressed in green, blue and red.

After getting ready and eating the small breakfast Tia Dalma prepared, the group of five was led out of the hut and into the jungle. As they walked along the stone road, Sora asked the woman, "Where are we going?"

"To the area near Kilika Temple. We'll be trainin' there," Tia Dalma replied.

The group of six headed up stone stairs, the stairs ascending up the island's mountain. During the ascent, Tia Dalma told the teens, "This be a beautiful place once. Many pilgrims walked up these stairs to pay 'omage to the Goddess and Her blessin' o' fire and fire magic. Ever since the Sanctum dissolved the older temples and created newer ones, places like these be seein' their share o' Heartless."

"Heartless? In a temple?" Sora asked.

Tia Dalma nodded and waved her left hand, summoning a Shadow. Sora and Riku immediately summoned their weapons and went into their battle positions. Snow and Serah readied theirs while Kairi looked unsure.

"Don't worry. This be an illusion," Tia Dalma told them.

The boys sighed and she continued.

"This be a Neoshadow Heartless, common inside the temple. These things prey on the hearts and souls o' anyone who travel outside the towns and cities o' this World. As your _Anima_ be your heart and soul, they will prey on ya until they capture your heart and send it to the darkness."

The group looked worried and she continued.

"So, ya must guard yourself and your heart, always," she added, dismissing the image of the Heartless.

She then walked further up the stairs and told the teens to follow her.

Once at the top of the stairs, the teens and their _Anima _saw that they were in an ancient courtyard, surrounded by the jungle. There were wild grasses growing over the stone tiles, indicating the age of the area. Small trees had grown in corners of the courtyard, making the place look like a part of the jungle. A symbol in the shape of a flame was in the courtyard's center.

When they were done looking around, Tia Dalma told the teens, "Let's see how ya are with the basics."

Muttering something under her breath and with a wave of her left hand, three, small Heartless appeared. This time, the appearance of them was quite different than the ones that Kairi have seen. The Heartless that were small, red colored Heartless with small orange witch hats on their heads. They floated around aimlessly and didn't pay attention to the five.

Riku and Sora summoned their Keyblades with a single thought and went into their battle stances. Snow and Serah readied themselves and Kairi had forgotten to bring her rapier.

"These be 'Red Nocturne' Heartless. They can be killed with two to three hits, but be warned. Ya gotta take them out with spells o' cold before they use fire spells on ya. But I'm sure y'all knew that," Tia Dalma explained.

"Uh…Yeah…Yeah we did!" Snow said.

"Now attack," she said.

Sora aimed for the Red Nocturne in the center and destroyed it in two swings. Riku aimed for the Heartless at his far left and killed it with three swings. The remaining Heartless fired off a Fire spell, nearly hitting Kairi. Kairi dodged and Snow retaliated with a Blizzard spell. The fiend was frozen and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Once the Heartless were defeated, Tia Dalma began to applaud them.

"That is what ya supposed to do when fightin'. You must guard your heart and any others that are in trouble. Now, let's try again," she said, summoning four more Heartless.

The Heartless were rotund had a symbol on their chests that looked similar to Riku's keychain token for his Keyblade. The Heartless looked smugly at the five and Tia Dalma explained what they were.

"These be 'Fat Body' Heartless. They be created by people who gave into greed and were killed by either a Pureblood or another Emblem," Tia Dalma explained.

"Why are they so fat? Oh my god, they're fat," Roxas said.

"They're fat 'cause they were formerly greedy souls. Attack them as ya did the Red Nocturnes, but from the back!" Tia Dalma ordered.

Sora quickly attacked the Fat Body that were to his left and found that attacking from the front was useless.

"I said attack them in the back!" Tia Dalma yelled.

Riku, using Kiba to fight with him, slashed the Fat Body that attacked him in the arms, stunning them. After hitting them both twice, Kiba finished it off with a leaping lunge to the back of the head. The Heartless' skull was crushed and the fiend disappeared in darkness.

Kairi looked over at Sora and saw that Serah had joined Sora. Serah shot at the Heartless that attacked him and stunned it. Sora then rushed behind it and began slashing at it. After five hits, the Fat Body was defeated.

As she watched, Kairi didn't notice the last of the Heartless coming after her. Snow rushed towards her aid, yelling, "Look out!"

The teen was punched in the face, blackening.

* * *

_Princess Moanna D'Arachel of Radiant Garden woke up in a fright within a guest room in the palace in Zanarkand. She shook her head, remembering that the king of Zanarkand, Yu Yevon, allowed her to stay as Zanarkand and Radiant Garden were allies. He saw to her safety as well as the safety of her guardians, not wanting to sour any ties the two city-states had._

_Her fuchsia-haired guardian, Heloísa, looked at her charge and said, "Oh you're awake."_

"_W-What happened?" Princess Moanna asked._

"_You suddenly collapsed at the fete. Chevalier and I carried you back here and you didn't wake up…But, I'm glad you're awake now. You worried us, Moanna," Heloísa replied._

_Princess Moanna told her guardian of the dream she had. She dreamt that she was among people who looked like her new friends, Yami and Azure. The other three looked like Chevalier, Heloísa and Lady Calypso Delmar of Kilika. They were training with her to fight against dark creatures and she didn't have her weapon._

"_So…They expected you to fight without the Keyblade?" Heloísa asked._

"_I think so. And…There was something weird. They had these names…Azure's look-a-like was named Sora. Yami's was named Riku. And…yours was Serah. And…Chevalier's was Snow…And Lady Calypso was named Tia Dalma," Princess Moanna told her._

_Heloísa was rather confused and said nothing._

"_Huh…Sounds like a really weird dream if you ask me."_

_The two saw Chevalier. He came in with the summoner-princess of Zanarkand, Lady Yunalesca. Yunalesca looked over the princess and said, "She looks well. I'm sure that all she need was rest. You three did arrive in the city less than a day ago."_

"_So going to that party was a bad idea?" Heloísa asked._

_Yunalesca nodded and said, "That is one side effect of jet lag."_

_Princess Moanna shook her head and told the summoner about her dream. The lady's face went into befuddlement and hadn't a clue what to say. _

"_Still sounds weird. Why would I be named 'Snow'? That's a boring name," Chevalier asked._

"_Well, my name was 'Serah' in her dream. And that means 'princess' in Halal, doesn't it?" Heloísa added._

_Yunalesca nodded and Princess Moanna felt better. She jumped out of bed and noticed that she was in her nightwear._

"_You did sleep for an entire day," Chevalier said._

_Embarrassed, Princess Moanna ordered for everyone to leave the room. They did and she quickly changed into more suitable attire…_

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes and found that she was in a bed. Usual bedroom furniture was strewn about. Based on the oddities there, the room was Tia Dalma's. Said person was in the room and said, "Ya awake. That's good."

"What…What happened?" Kairi asked her.

Snow, Serah, Sora and Riku were also in the room, each with worried looks on their faces. Kairi told them what happened in her dream and their reaction was the same as those who were in it.

"What? I had a look-a-like named Azure? Why Azure? That just means 'blue' in Saronian," Sora said, seemingly disappointed.

"And mine's was Yami. That means 'dark'. That's lame…" Riku muttered.

"And the names that Snow and mine had are so…old. And…Tia Dalma's was weird. 'Calypso'?" Serah stated.

Kairi looked to Tia Dalma and the woman said, "Let's let her rest. Trainin' will continue tomorrow."

The others left, leaving Kairi alone. She fell asleep, only to be awakened what felt like moments later by the Tracker. The device resonated and particles of light surrounded the room. Kairi saw what looked like an old temple and three sailors fighting off a dark creature in flames. A figure clad in black armor appeared behind the creature and cackled insanely.

The appearance of the black armored knight caused for Kairi to yelp and drop the device. Not wanting to wake the others as night had fallen, Kairi calmed herself, picked up the Tracker and began wondering what she had to do.

"He did say that the Tracker leads to those who are connected to me…But…why sailors?" Kairi asked herself.

"I don't know. But…They could help us," Naminé told her host, changing her form from a hamster to a small dog.

Not wanting for the evil that happened to the Nakashima clan to repeat itself, Kairi decided against leaving.

"But…! What if those sailors are in trouble? We…I know that seeing Sora's parents get executed was…horrible. But we can help those sailors avoid that fate…I know we can," Naminé said.

"But…I can't," Kairi started.

"Ya can..."

The teen nearly yelped as Tia Dalma had found her. She had a sullen look and told her, "What happened to Sora's parents was destined…as they were put on this earth solely to protect ya. But…the fate that those sailors face can be prevented…as there is a powerful darkness in that temple they're in."

"What temple is it?" Kairi asked.

"Kilika Temple," the woman replied.

"Then, I go with Serah and Snow to…" Kairi started.

"Ya cannot bring them. The darkness in the temple will crush their hearts, killin' them. Only ya can enter," Tia Dalma told her.

"Why?" Kairi asked.

"'Cause you're a Princess o' Heart, a young woman with no darkness. And ya have a power inside o' ya that is stronger than anythin'," Tia Dalma told her.

Kairi became suspicious of the woman as she was never called that before. She knew that Pure Light had something to do with her family, but that was it.

'Is…Is this what the Goddess meant…'_By the Tracker and your deeds, shall the Keys reveal themselves to you'_?' Kairi thought.

"I'll lead ya to the temple…But…I cannot go any farther than that," Tia Dalma told her.

Kairi reluctantly agreed to and hoped that no one else would die.

* * *

_Thanks to Nicole Peach and KHLegacy for their reviews. Wonder what's the deal with those dreams._


	8. Chapter Six: Kilika Temple

"_The Temples dedicated to Mother Goddess Cosmos went into disarray after 1200 N.W. The Sanctum thought that the temples of the Old World were decrepit and needed to be destroyed. Many people the World over became distraught when Primarch Julius Listo ordered the destruction of all temples. That caused for many nations to war with the Sanctum. Many failed but only a few temples survived the destruction, such as the ones on Kilika, Destiny and Besaid Islands."_

_-Lord Maechen, historian of Spira and the World_

Chapter Six: Kilika Temple

"_Ah, Princess Moanna, you're awake," the summoner-king of Zanarkand, Yu Yevon stated._

_The princess of Radiant Garden looked at the elderly monarch and saw his clothing of blue and green. The garb was in similar fashion to the robes the Qin royals wore. A sun-shaped crown was on his head and he wore it proudly. _

_His advisors were near him and looked at the princess with slight intrigue. Heloísa and Chevalier were in attendance as well as Lady Calypso._

"_I was told that you had a nightmare…involving those who were in this room," Yu Yevon said._

_Princess Moanna nodded._

"_Well, I will not ask for you to relay that to me. I will ask that you stay with your guardians and see the sights of this city," Yu Yevon told her._

"_Okay. I will. Thank you again for your hospitality, Your Majesty," Princess Moanna replied._

* * *

_Friday, June 3__rd__, 4 a.m.…_

Standing in the courtyard near the Kilika Temple, Kairi and Tia Dalma looked up to a stone building in the distance. The jungle obscured most of it from view and the moonlight illuminated parts of the temple. Kairi felt a surge of energy and shivered from it.

Tia Dalma looked at her, saying, "The darkness here be somethin' to fear...I tried to keep it at bay, puttin' up seals and tellin' e'erbody not to enter. I tried tellin' 'em not to go in…"

"Who's in there?" Kairi asked.

"A pirate cap'n and two o' his crew. One o' 'em just became a 'summoner'. Find 'em and get out o' there," Tia Dalma said.

She then waved a hand across Kairi's face. Kairi felt emboldened and the woman told her, "I just put up a Protect spell. And use this if ya get in trouble."

Tia Dalma handed Kairi a crystal. She identified it as a Teleport Stone and thanked her. With trepidation, the teen headed up the stairs and into the temple of fire.

* * *

_Kilika Temple, entrance…_

The dark fire temple of Kilika was mostly made of rough, white stone. The entrance was large and had crystals of fire embedded in the floor. Three doors led to places unknown and Kairi could sense darkness coming from the central door. Small shrubbery grew in the corners of the entrance and Kairi shivered as she felt oddly cold. The air was heavy and still, adding to the eeriness of the place.

"I-I think we shouldn't have come here. What if Tia Dalma is trying to lead us to our deaths?" Naminé said in concern, her form a small robin.

She flew in front of Kairi's face and added, "I…I'm scared."

"Yeah. But we have to go inside to help those people or else they'll end up like…Sora's family…" Kairi told her _Anima._

Whispers interrupted the conversation with host and _Anima _and Kairi looked around in fright. The area became darker than before and she felt a presence behind her. The teen turned only to see darkness.

More was heard and Kairi yelled, "Who's there?"

A massive dark miasma coalesced and Kairi saw a canine-like beast. It turned to her and stared with blood red eyes. It lunged and Kairi covered her face, thinking it was the end.

The next thing she knew, something heavy was in her right hand and the beast screeched. Kairi looked down and saw a Keyblade of floral design. The name of it, Destiny's Place, crossed her mind and the dark creature backed away.

It roared and ran towards the center door. It disappeared in dark mist and Kairi knew that something was behind the door. She walked towards it and stared at it.

The Keyblade rumbled in her hands and Kairi pointed it at the door. The barrier disappeared as a beam of light shot out of it. Kairi stilled herself and entered the next area: the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was a foreboding place. In the dimly lit Great Hall, Kairi saw that there were stone risers that held ancient, golden statues of the Old World saints. Each held a shield with the ancient symbol of fire on it. There were four larger statues of famous figures holding key-like swords in front of a set of stairs. The stairs led to the inner chambers of the temple and a massive, golden and bronze statue of the Goddess holding that dark canine creature from before was carved into the wall over the chamber door.

The largest of the floor-based statues was of a woman scantily clad in a bikini and Kairi muttered, "Lady Yunalesca…"

"Who goes there?"

Kairi went into her battle stance, holding her new Keyblade like a rapier. She saw a young man come from behind a statue of a robed man holding a fan-like Keyblade. His dark brown hair was tied in a small ponytail and his brown eyes scanned the girl. He was dressed like a sailor and his weapon was that of a standard cutlass.

His _Anima_ of a small mutt stood next to him and looked at Kairi with suspicion.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"Uh...K-Kairi…Kairi Hasegawa…and this is Naminé," Kairi replied.

"Yeah, who are you?" Naminé asked.

The man scanned her and said, "So you're not with that dark monster."

Remembering what she saw at the entrance and what Tia Dalma told her, Kairi asked him, "Are you those pirates Tia Dalma told me to save?"

"I'm not a pirate. Will Turner and this is Caspian, my _Anima_. I only came in here because of my…friend, Elizabeth Swann. She's a summoner and we only came here to find the fayth of this place with a pirate captain named Jack Sparrow," the man, Will Turner, told her.

'"Fayth"?' Kairi thought.

Will put away his cutlass and said, "We were then set upon by this dark creature. Tia Dalma did warn us not to come in here, but Elizabeth insisted...The next thing I knew, I was in this hall alone…"

She remembered what Tia Dalma told her and said, "Then, Mister Turner, you have to leave the temple. If not, your heart will be crushed by the darkness."

"I'm not leaving without Elizabeth. I'm her guardian and it's my job to protect her," Will told her.

Kairi said nothing as she knew nothing would sway him from his decision. The sound of whispers was heard again and the pair scanned the area. Nothing.

The teen looked at what was a door above a staircase on the far side of the room. She saw two faint lights and began involuntarily walking towards it.

"Miss Kairi!" Caspian yelled.

Will shadowed her and the two entered another darkened chamber. A pedestal was in the middle of the stone area and two recesses were located on the left and right walls. A door with a small hole had a glyph and repelled any attempts at opening it.

Kairi looked at the pedestal and saw a small green sphere. She picked it up and light filled the area. The particles coalesced into words that were unknown to Kairi. Will looked at it and said, "Looks like Old Kilikan…"

"But what does it…? Oh…'To those who venture further…These are the Cloister of Trials…Green glyph spheres open the way to the Chamber of the Fayth. Purple destruction sphere lead the way to treasure. Spheres such as the Kilika spheres will help as well," Kairi read.

Will stared at her in confusion.

"I thought you couldn't read it, Miss Hasegawa," he said.

"I thought so too, but I can…And…the message is warning us about…" Kairi stated.

A scream interrupted her and Will muttered, "Jack?"

Will grabbed a flaming Kilika sphere and dropped it. He rubbed his hands and muttered, "Ow…"

Kairi put the glyph sphere back where it came from and grabbed the Kilika sphere. The heat from the sphere began to burn her hands and Kairi quickly put the sphere in the centermost recess. A glyph appeared and Kairi blew on her poor hands.

Will touched the symbol and more symbols appeared. Kairi, recovered, read the markings and said, "Um…It says, 'the glyph repels you'. I guess we have to take the Kilika sphere out…But it burned my hands…"

The sailor shook his head, not knowing what to do.

"Well, I know that fire is the opposite of ice and that sphere's made of fire…Do you know of any ice spells?" Will asked.

Kairi shook her head. Wanting to save the last two of the three sailors, the teen stilled herself and grabbed the sphere once more. She dropped it as it began to burn her again. Will touched the glyph again and the door opened.

The next thing Kairi saw was absolutely horrifying. A man in brown pirate gear held up his sword at a flaming dark, lupine being that stood in front of a wall of flame. His _Anima, _a small sparrow, kept out of the beast's reach by staying in the air. His host was hit by one the dark creature's large paws and flew backwards. His pirate hat was knocked off, revealing his bandana-covered head and dreadlocks, and Kairi picked it up.

"Oy! Turner! A little help here!" the pirate yelled.

Will rushed in with his cutlass at the ready and was repelled by a wall of flame. The beast roared, seemingly in triumph, and charged with his claws aimed at the men. Kairi jumped in front of the two and yelled, "STOP!"

Surprisingly, and to Naminé's relief, the beast stopped in its tracks.

"I-If you value your existence, you'll stop attacking," Kairi told it nervously.

"What is she doing, Young Turner?" the pirate asked.

"Don't know," Will replied.

The beast kept staring at Kairi, as if it knew her. Kairi held her Keyblade tightly and went into her battle stance. As she did, the creature made a mix of whines and growls.

"Miss Kairi!" Will yelled.

The creature's attention went from Kairi back to the pirate, William and the duo's _Anima_. It roared and the flames behind it intensified. The teen screamed and pointed the Keyblade at the beast.

A beam of light hit it, pushing it through the flame wall. The wall disappeared as well as the beast. Terrified, Kairi fell to the floor.

Through shuddering breaths, Kairi asked the seafarers, "A-Are you guys okay?"

William helped up both the pirate and Kairi. The pirate looked at her and asked, "And who be this?"

"K-Kairi Hasegawa…You are?" Kairi replied.

"We don't have time for introductions. Elizabeth's in danger!" Will yelled.

"I'm sure that Miss Swann is doing fine in the Trials, Young Turner," the pirate told him.

Wanting to help the group leave, Kairi started to walk towards the chasm of the fire wall. She noticed a set of stairs that led down to a small, glowing, yellow pipe in the gorge. The line was connected to a small Kilika sphere and sent small sparks of flame down.

Another set of stairs led to a sealed door and Kairi could see a small opening for a sphere. She figured that putting another Kilika sphere would open it.

Heading for the embedded Kilika sphere, Kairi was filled with dread. She took it and, to her surprise, it didn't burn her. Will and the pirate followed her as she put the sphere in the door's recess. Flames engulfed the barrier, revealing an opening behind it.

After the fire died, the trio entered the next area: the antechamber.

* * *

_Kilika Temple, antechamber…_

"Elizabeth!" Will yelled.

A young woman wearing green garb of the Qin faced the dark beast that Kairi seemingly defeated before. Her long, blonde hair fell down her back and she held her sword at the beast in an exhausted manner. Her _Anima_ of a lioness snarled at the creature and the beast reciprocated in kind.

"Elizabeth!" Will yelled once more.

The pirate and Will joined her. Kairi stood at Will's left side and looked at the others in fear. She hadn't a clue if they knew how to fight…or use magic.

The beast turned its attention to Kairi and lunged. The teen screamed, closing her eyes and holding her weapon in front of her in a defensive manner. Moments later, she heard a terrifying screech.

She opened her eyes to see the fiend engulfed in light. The blinding aura forced everyone to cover their eyes, but Kairi and Naminé were unaffected. She could clearly see that the dark monster was disintegrating.

When the light died, the antechamber was seemingly safe once more. The air didn't feel heavy and became warmer, fitting for a temple of fire.

Elizabeth hugged William and said, "I...I didn't know where you and Jack went. The darkness forced me here. I was going to see the fayth when that monster appeared and…Who is this?"

"I'm…I'm Kairi. Kairi Hasegawa and this is Naminé, my _Anima_. Tia Dalma sent me to find you guys," Kairi replied.

"Since we didn't have a proper introduction, I am William Turner II and this is my _Anima_, Caspian. I am the guardian to Elizabeth Swann, summoner and daughter of the Governor of Port Royal on Besaid Island," William said, shaking Kairi's hand.

"Elizabeth Swann and this is Mara. Will did say everything about me…and that's Jack Sparrow," the woman, Elizabeth, added.

The pirate, Jack Sparrow, was displeased.

"There should be a 'captain' in there somewhere…and the _Anima's _Becker," he said.

"So, 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, why did you all come here?" Naminé asked.

"We were supposed to help Elizabeth see the fayth of this temple, to receive an aeon, but Captain Sparrow here just had to take a Kilika sphere from that seal," Caspian replied for his host.

"Oy! How was I supposed to know that a Heartless would appear? And Tia Dalma told _you two _not to enter, not me. But _you_ insisted on coming in and I wanted to go back to the _Pearl_," Captain Sparrow stated, looking innocent.

"I needed to see the fayth of this temple. And everything went fine until you touched that sphere," Elizabeth argued.

Not knowing what a fayth was, Kairi just had to ask, "What is a 'fayth'? Like 'faith' in the Goddess?"

"No. A 'fayth' is what we call the summoned creatures of yore. The fayth are stones that we summoners draw power from. That power comes from a land called the Feymarch and holds the spirits of said creatures," Elizabeth explained.

"So didja see it?" Captain Sparrow asked.

"No. I was going to when that fiend appeared, trying to kill me. Thanks for the concern, Jack," Elizabeth replied.

Elizabeth headed for the elaborate door within the antechamber. Without her touching it, the door opened and she entered. Kairi was going to follow when Will stopped her.

"Why?" she asked.

"It's taboo," Caspian replied.

"I'm not one for traditions and all that, but going in there while a summoner's there is a bad idea, Miss Kairi," Captain Sparrow told her.

"Why?" Naminé asked.

"For starters, it'll break Miss Swann's concentration. Second, the fayth'll punish us…mostly by not giving our summoner an aeon. Third, Tia Dalma will kill ya for entering without permission," Becker replied for his host.

Without warning, Kairi felt exhausted. She swayed, trying to keep her balance. She found herself falling to the floor, hitting her head and knocking herself out.

* * *

"_Your Highness? Your Highness?"_

_Princess Moanna came out of her thoughts and looked at Chevalier. He had a worried glance and asked, "You okay?"_

_The princess scanned the area and saw that she was at a port in Zanarkand. A large ship of steel with black coating loomed menacingly in the water. Its captain, a man named Becker Longshore, stood near it and was talking with Heloísa and Chevalier. _

_She apparently had daydreamed while they were talking and didn't respond to them at first. The princess stared at the captain as he oddly looked like someone she had dreamt about, a pirate captain. She told him and Captain Longshore muttered, "A pirate? A pirate captain named Jack Sparrow? That's weird…Never thought I'd be seen as a pirate. I don't really look the part, do I?"_

"_No. But she's always had strange dreams like that, Mr. Longshore," Heloísa told him._

_Captain Longshore was a bit miffed._

"_There should be a 'captain' in there somewhere," he stated._

"_I'm sure they didn't mean to make you mad Captain Longshore," a woman named Mara Tudor said, walking towards the group._

_She was joined by her husband, Caspian Tudor, a sailor from the Gaia continent. Princess Moanna gaped as she also had a dream about the couple. Her Highness told them, saying that Mara was named Elizabeth Swann, a summoner, and Caspian was William Turner II, the woman's guardian._

_The couple had the expected look of confusion and muttered to themselves._

"_I know it sounds weird, but I really did have a dream that you two had those names…And you helped this girl named Kairi out. She looked a lot like me…but…" Princess Moanna told them._

"_I think we should get back to the palace. It seems that you're still not feeling well, Your Highness," Heloísa said._

_The princess stomped her foot, declaring, "I'm fine! I…I just had those weird dreams! I don't know why it keeps happening but I'm not crazy or anything!"_

"_No one said you're crazy. We just think you need to get back to the palace," Chevalier told her in worry._

_Realizing that they were hiding something, Princess Moanna asked, "What…What are you hiding from me? You know something about these dreams. That's why Father sent me here, to Zanarkand, so no one would find out about them."_

"_That's not…" Heloísa started._

"_So, I guess that tour of the coastline isn't happening is it?" Captain Longshore asked._

"_No. Not today, sorry," Chevalier replied._

* * *

Kairi woke up, gasping for air. She was once again in Tia Dalma's hut and all her friends with Tia Dalma surrounded her bedside. The only difference was that the summoner, guardian and pirate captain from Kilika Temple were present.

"She's okay now?" Becker asked his host.

Captain Sparrow nodded and said, "If she woke up, then it's quite obvious, mate."

"What…What happened? I was in Kilika Temple and helped you all out…and then…" Kairi said.

"Lady Elizabeth told us that you passed out. They carried you back here and you didn't wake for two days," Serah told her.

"So, today's Sunday, June 5th if you're curious," Snow added.

Kairi remembered her dream and relayed to everyone what it was about. This time, the dream was that of the group of Chevalier, Heloísa and Princess Moanna meeting the look-a-likes of Will, Elizabeth and Captain Sparrow.

The glances the trio gave each other were expected.

"So…you're saying that in your dream…I was called 'Captain Becker Longshore'…Well, at least I was still a captain of my own ship. What was the ship called?" Captain Sparrow asked.

"I don't know," Kairi told him.

Will was next, saying, "And I was called 'Caspian Tudor'? The name rings a bell. I think he was the guardian to his wife, Lady Mara Tudor."

"He was. Lady Mara Tudor was a powerful high summoner from the Gaia continent of the Old World. She helped defend her land during the Keyblade War…and that's why my _Anima_ was named after her," Elizabeth explained.

"And that's why you became a summoner?" Will asked.

Elizabeth nodded and said, "I knew it would be a hard career, but…at least I get to venture with someone I care for."

The two looked rather lovingly to each other and Captain Sparrow interrupted.

"Well, now that Miss Kairi's doin' fine, I think I should be goin'," Captain Sparrow said, inching out of the room.

"Hold it!" Tia Dalma yelled.

The bedroom door shut itself and locked everyone inside.

"Where do you think you're going? You still have to take us to Luca," Elizabeth said.

"Ya cannot go to Luca," Tia Dalma stated.

"See? Now, I'll be goin'," Captain Sparrow said, trying to leave the room.

"But…ya have to take Kairi, Sora, Riku and Kairi's guardians to Saronia. They be safe there," Tia Dalma told everyone.

"And what of Elizabeth and I?" Will asked.

"Ya two be joinin' them. After ya take 'em there, ya can go to Luca," Tia Dalma said.

"And you think that the pirate will do that for us?" Riku asked.

"'Captain'. I'm a pirate captain," Captain Sparrow said.

"Take 'em to Saronia, Jack. Or else," Tia Dalma ordered.

Captain Sparrow looked around in fright and said, "Oh, alright…But they will not complain about the voyage…And they must follow the captain's orders, savvy?"

"Okay," Sora chirped.

"Well, we gotta find a safe place for Kairi," Snow added.

"I'm in," Riku stated.

After the group agreed to follow Tia Dalma's instructions, Kairi couldn't help but feel odd. She didn't know where the dreams came from, but it felt like…memories. The people who surrounded her bedside made the feeling of nostalgia stronger.

'What…What's going on? Why is this happening to me? Is it…because of the Tracker?' she thought.

* * *

_So, the dreams are persistent with Kairi. Wonder why they're really about. Review?_

_-miano53_


	9. Chapter Seven: The Unpleasant Voyage

"_The people of the nomadic Wolf Tribes, when away from their pack for a long time, can get quite lonely and become very defensive because of their __**Anima's**__ influence. After a while, they become isolated from others and refuse to accept help from anyone. This can make Wolves quite dangerous if they do not have a pack to belong. But, some people with wolf __**Anima**__ are able to curb that instinct and live on as 'Lone Wolves.'"_

_-Master Ansem Hasegawa on the Nomadic Wolf Tribes of Macalania_

Chapter Seven: The Unpleasant Voyage

_Waking up in a dark void, Kairi rubbed her eyes and nearly panicked. Naminé was nowhere to be found and the others were gone. When she did, Kairi fell, screaming._

_Just before she knew it, the teen landed on her backside hard on a platform._

"_Ow…" she moaned, rubbing it._

_The platform was that of a glass tower. The top of it, where the teen was standing, was stained glass. A dark-haired, pale-skinned woman wearing a white dress and eating an apple, was depicted it in. She was surrounded by forest animals and seven men, each with a different facial expression ranging from happy to inquisitive. The image looked familiar and Kairi was sure she hadn't seen it before._

"_So much to do…So little time…"_

"_What? Who's there?" Kairi asked._

_The voice answered her with, "Step forward. Can you do it…or did you hurt yourself?"_

_Kairi shrugged and walked forward. Three altars appeared, each with a weapon of a staff, shield and sword._

"_Power sleeps within you. Give it form and it will give you strength. Choose…I would suggest the staff," the voice asked._

"_Why?" Kairi asked._

_The voice didn't reply. The teen walked to the altar of the staff and picked it up._

"_The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Do you choose this power, Princess?" the voice asked._

"_Um…I don't know," Kairi replied._

"_Fine…But please choose," the voice told her._

_Kairi strode to the altar of the sword._

"_The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Do you choose this power?" the voice asked._

_Thinking it over, Kairi found that she didn't want it. She looked back at the staff and shield and said, "No."_

_The sword disappeared as well as its altar. Heading to the altar of the shield, Kairi grabbed it and the voice said, "The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Do you choose this power?"_

"_Well, I'm not much of a guardian…or a warrior. So…no. I choose the staff," Kairi announced._

_The shield shaped itself into the staff and both altars vanished. The glass tower shattered and Kairi fell into the abyss once more._

_She landed on top of what looked like a building. The building, quite different than anything she had ever seen looked…futuristic as it was made of glass and steel. The surrounding buildings were dome-shaped and lit with bright light. The area, a magnificent city by the water, was illuminated by the moonlight as well as the lights from the buildings. It stretched as far as the eye could see and Kairi muttered, "Zanarkand…"_

_She then heard the sounds of gunfire and loud explosions. Parts of the city became engulfed in flames and the teen heard someone yell, "We have to go, Princess!"_

_Turning to face them, Kairi gasped as she saw…Sora. He was decked out in black, white and silver street clothing, similar to the clothing when they first met._

"_Sora!" she yelled._

"_Sora? Uh…That's not it. It's Azure, remember? Lord Azure Cielo of Saronia," the look-a-like, Azure, said._

"_Azure, we don't have time for reintroductions! We gotta go!" another person yelled._

_Kairi saw…Riku, but figured it wasn't him. The look-a-like wore clothing similar to Riku, only in black and silver._

"_Princess Moanna, we have to go now! Heloísa and Chevalier are holding off the darkness as we speak," the person said._

"_You're…?" Kairi asked, wondering why he called her that._

"_That's Yami. Lord Yami Tsurugi of Eblan. Why are you forgetting our names now?" Azure replied._

"_Azure! Let's go!" Yami yelled._

_He raised his hand and was about to summon something when an explosion rocked the building. Yami pulled out a small device and someone yelled, "Yami! Azure! Take the princess as far away from Zanarkand as possible! He found us and we're being massacred out here!"_

"_Wataru-sama, what's going on?" Yami yelled._

"_We're being killed out here! He killed Lenne and Shuyin in cold blood! And he took out Captain Longshore and his entire crew! Lady Mariam and I trying to find Mary Margaret, but the darkness…It's….GAAH!" the person, Wataru, screamed over the device._

"_Wataru? WATARU!" Azure yelled._

"_Okay, we gotta get out of here. I thought that Prince Chao von Heim was good, but I was wrong. I knew not to trust him!" Yami bellowed._

_He raised his hand once more and a portal of darkness opened. Kairi shivered and Azure pulled her in it. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too tight._

"_Your Highness, just…!" Yami said._

_He pushed Azure and Kairi into the portal and the two could hear, "I'm not letting you kill her! You're not destroying this planet, monster!"_

_Manic laugher was heard and the portal closed, taking Kairi and Azure to places unknown to her._

* * *

"GAH!" Kairi screamed, waking up in an unknown room.

She looked around and saw that Serah and Elizabeth were sleeping in separate beds in the first of the two guest cabins of the _Black Pearl_. Their _Anima _slept next to them on the beds and none noticed Kairi's panicked self. She lied back down and Naminé, her form a hamster once more, crawled on the pillow and asked, "What was that about?"

"I don't know. But it felt like…it felt too real," Kairi told her.

Naminé shifted into her cat form and jumped off the bed. Kairi got out of the bed and followed her. They left the room and arrived on the deck of the _Black Pearl._

The _Black Pearl _was a magnificent ship. Similar in construction to the Nakashima clan's, the _Pearl_ was coated in black and had black sails, only used if the crystal engines below deck were to fail. It had the flag of pirates flying at its highest mast and usual things found on a pirate ship. As she walked towards a railing, Kairi muttered the name, "The_ Wicked Wench_."

"What?"

She yelped as Riku had found her. He was sitting near the ship's wheel and had found Kairi wandering on deck. He had a depressed look on his face and asked, "What's the _Wicked Wench_?"

Kairi hadn't a clue and replied with, "I…I don't know. It's just that…"

"Does this have to do with your dreams?" Riku asked.

Kairi said nothing until Naminé replied with, "Yes."

"I know you don't believe me and think my dreams are weird, but…something about them doesn't feel like a fantasy," Kairi said.

"So, it's more like memories? But I remember meeting you in Outset City," Riku replied.

"Maybe it's a latent memory…You do remember about there being an 'old world'," Kiba told him.

The wolf _Anima_ looked at his host and Riku said, "I remember. But what does that have to do with Kairi's dreams?"

"Maybe that Tracker could tell us," Kiba replied.

Kairi, always carrying the small device on her person, took it out of her right oversized pocket and opened it. The symbols began glowing and a small amount of light particles filled the air. The scenery around the _Black Pearl_ changed to that of a battle scarred cliff.

The skies had changed from a dark, starry sky to a burning red. Fire rained from the heavens and crashed into the ground. A large, ornate door was in the distance and the pair could see many factions fighting. On the door was a symbol of a black heart with two red lines crisscrossing on it. A fleur-di-lis was connected to the bottom of and was in the color of ebony. A sinister power was behind it and Kairi shivered.

"What the…?" Riku muttered, looking around.

"Is this…?" Kiba asked.

"The Keyblade War? I see Keyblades down there," Naminé asked, changing her form into a white hawk.

Kairi peered as best as she could and saw Keyblades as well as powerful machines being used in the battle. Many were falling left and right and the massacre was so great that many of the warriors were covered in blood. Airships floated in the heavens, bringing the rain of fire down on the many factions.

The sound of an explosion came from behind them and a red light appeared. Kairi gasped and asked, "What was that?"

"Kairi, look!" Naminé yelled.

She turned and saw that the door had begun to open. When it fully opened, the door released a massive amount of dark miasma, covering the land. Riku held Kairi, trying to protect her from it. Kairi closed her eyes and heard many screams as the darkness began to destroy everything.

"Uh…Did I miss something?"

Riku and Kairi opened their eyes to see themselves back on the _Black Pearl._ Elizabeth had found them and had her arms folded. Mara, her lioness _Anima,_ was the first to ask, "Why were you two hugging?"

"W-We weren't hugging! We saw this…Never mind. You wouldn't believe us. I'm going back to bed," Riku said, shutting down rather quickly.

He left, heading to the second guest room. Kairi found it odd and said nothing. Elizabeth turned her attention to Kairi and asked, "What happened?"

"We…I…Well…" Kairi started.

With Naminé's disapproval, Kairi told the summoner of the existence of the Tracker. She told her about its function and how ever since getting it, odd things have happened. That included the dreams. She then showed her the small crystal compass and Elizabeth was amazed.

"So…you're truly the one from the prophecy…and Tia Dalma was right in us protecting you. Don't worry. We won't allow for the Sanctum, Radiantan Empire, though I am a citizen, or other dark powers that be find you. We can't have what happened 3,000 years ago repeat itself…" Elizabeth told her, placing a hand on Kairi's left shoulder.

She headed below deck, leaving the Keybearer alone.

* * *

_Tuesday, June 7__th__, 3108 N.W., noon…_

Disturbed at what she saw earlier, Kairi kept to herself at sat on the stairs near the ship's wheel. She watched as the many crew members worked around the ship. Captain Sparrow talked with an older man in blue and white and said, "Gibbs, you do realize that we have to keep these kids _away_ from the Sanctum? Why are we headed for their waters?"

"Well, I thought it'd be faster, cap'n," the man, Joshua Gibbs, told him.

His _Anima _of a Golden Retriever whined and Becker flew in front of his face.

"Oh hush it, Jeremy," he said.

"Oy! At least we tried to find the fastest route," the _Anima, _Jeremy, said to his feathered friend.

"More like the dumber route," Becker retorted.

The _Anima_ argued and Naminé laughed. Her form, a white hamster once again, climbed onto Kairi's left knee and she said, "I never got why we're like this. Why we can exist outside of you guys and we're supposed to be your heart."

"And soul."

Elizabeth, Serah, Snow and Sora joined her. The summoner's _Anima_ continued with the reply.

"After the Keyblade War and darkness covered the land, the Holy Mother Cosmos revived the world using tears of light. Said tears brought back the world, but the world fragmented into many others. And, as punishment for trying to become gods, we the _Anima_ were created," Mara explained.

"Meaning that our hearts and souls were separated and turned into the animal spirits that walk beside us to remind us to never again look for Kingdom Hearts. But She was merciful as our _Anima_ are also the other side of our hearts. They are still us, but manifested in animal form," Elizabeth added.

"Ah, so that's why they can't stray too far away from us. Because they are us," Serah said.

Elizabeth nodded and Snow asked, "But I heard that there are people whose _Anima_ can stray far from them. Is that a rumor?"

"I…I've heard of that, but I've never met anyone like that," Elizabeth replied.

"The last person who was able to do that was a man named León Souza."

Will arrived and Serah said, "That's the traitor, right?"

The man nodded saying, "I heard that he defied the Sanctum's teachings, spreading knowledge of Pure Light and Kingdom Hearts. He also told people that the nomads weren't evil."

"What?" Sora said, shocked.

"Yes, he was the first to say that your people weren't evil and he was imprisoned for doing so. His _Anima_ fled, but was captured and destroyed," Caspian added.

Everyone looked at the mutt _Anima_ and Naminé asked, "Destroyed?"

"If any of us were to get killed by others or Heartless…we disappear and our hosts die. That _Anima…_he…he wasn't normal and kept reviving himself after every murder attempt from the Sanctum. Many tales state that it took the Sanctum to release powerful spells of light to destroy him," Caspian replied.

Unnerved, Naminé, Nora, Orion and Roxas stayed close to their hosts. Kairi held Naminé in her hands and began to stroke her to calm her down. The others did the same.

"So, that's why you have to guard your _Anima_ and yourself at all costs. If either were to die, you're gone for good," Will said.

Wanting to change the conversation, Kairi asked the guardian of his origins. He replied, stating that Elizabeth and he were of the Radiantan Empire. Elizabeth's father, Governor Swann, governed Besaid Island for the empire and employed him as Elizabeth's guardian for her pilgrimage to the temples around the world as the two were friends since childhood. They met Captain Sparrow after a series of misadventures and he allowed the two on his ship.

"So you two are comfortable with sailing with pirates and nomads?" Serah asked.

"As long as I can reach the temples and find the fayth, I'm fine. And you all don't seem like what the Sanctum tells us," Elizabeth replied.

"So you're comfortable with me being a Hawk and Riku being a Wolf?" Sora asked.

The pair nodded and Kairi could see that Sora was more comfortable. She then noticed Riku's absence and found him at the other side of the ship. He was looking out at the horizon and looked rather depressed.

"What's with Riku?" Naminé asked.

Sora looked at his friend and said, "Oh…no…"

"What's wrong?" Snow asked.

"He's been away from his clan too long. The Wolf nomads become depressed when they're separated too long from family. I see why…He's worried about them…But, at least he still has one…" Sora said, becoming depressed.

Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder and he tried to perk up.

"Well, as long as I can protect Kairi and stop the Sanctum, I'll…I'll be fine," he said, his voice betraying his slight smile.

Kairi said nothing. Changing the subject, Will asked, "So, where are you from, Miss Hasegawa?"

"Snow, Serah and I are from the Departure County in the empire. We all went to the college there as we were…tutored by the headmaster there. And…the place is a college, but they give high school courses too," Kairi replied.

"So you guys weren't homeschooled like me?" Sora asked.

"Nope. We had the 'privilege' of being tutored by the scholars there," Snow answered.

Kairi was going to add her quip when the _Black Pearl _was suddenly struck by something. Everyone was knocked down and Captain Sparrow yelled, "What happened?"

"We must've hit a reef, cap'n," one of the crew told him.

Kairi noticed the darkened skies and yelled, "Watch out!"

Several crew members were hit by a lightning blast and she recognized it as a Thunder spell. Darkness appeared on the deck and coalesced into tangible shape. The crew grabbed their guns and began shooting at it.

Sora, Kairi, and Riku, who joined them, summoned their Keyblades. Elizabeth and Will readied their swords and Serah prepared her bow-sword. Snow prepared his fists while Gibbs and Captain Sparrow saw the darkness, not having a clue what to do.

Disturbing whispers filled the air as the darkness kept trying to piece itself together. Thinking it was a Heartless, the pirates began to charge. A wave of dark energy repelled them, knocking many unconscious. Will and Elizabeth charged to destroy it when Kairi yelled, "No! Don't!"

They stopped in their tracks and backed away as a figure appeared. It shaped itself into a pale skinned young man wearing a tight battle suit. His raven hair and glowing red eyes added to the eerie appearance. What shocked the group was that he had no _Anima,_ indicating that he was a Heartless or an Unsent, a person that didn't reach the afterlife.

He smirked and Captain Sparrow walked towards him.

"So you're the one who stopped my ship and hurt my crew. I wanna know, why?" he asked.

The man said nothing and chuckled.

"Who are you? Why did you attack the crew?" Kairi asked.

"The first of the seals has been released…And I must thank the one who released me. Turn to your left and you'll see…" the man said in a dark voice.

The eight turned to each other and ended up looking at Captain Sparrow. He looked around innocently and said, "My hands are clean in this."

He noticed how dirty they were.

"Well…figuratively," he added.

"Now that the seals are weakening, it's time that I flex my muscles. This is a good place to start," the man said, going into a battle stance.

Darkness swirled around him and Kairi couldn't help but shiver. Sora, Will and Serah were the first to attack. Sora charged, swiping at the man. Their foe dodged with ease and was shot in the arm by Serah. The man smirked, ripping the arrow out of his left arm.

He then leapt in the air and released a Gravity spell. That weakened the three and they were panting in exhaustion. The man rushed towards them, bringing a wave of darkness with him.

Their foe was about to strike Sora with a leaping kick when Snow blocked it. The man looked bewildered and Riku jumped in the air to strike the man. The assailant disappeared in darkness, reappearing behind Kairi.

She turned, only to be grabbed the neck. He began choking her and Sora yelled, "Let her go!"

"Oh…? You care for this one?" the man asked.

He grin widened to an insane smile and darkness billowed from his being. Heartless of the Red Nocturne, Soldier and Neoshadow variety appeared and the surviving crew fought them off. The man's grip around her neck became tighter and he said, "See how weak you are, Princess? You can't hope to stop me. Not this time. Not ever."

He laughed as Kairi felt lightheaded. She started to black out and, out of instinct, placed a hand on the man's chest. Light pulsated from it and entered the man. He screamed, dropping her and backing away.

"Y-You…!" he growled, voice distorted.

He roared, releasing more darkness. It enveloped the ship and Kairi closed her ears as many screams cut through the air.

'Please…Please stop this…' Kairi thought.

The screams stopped and Kairi opened her eyes. Many of the _Black Pearl's_ crew was injured and helping out those who had survived the attack. The others died and were floating in the water, particles of Pure Light swirling around them.

She saw that Captain Sparrow, Gibbs, Will and Elizabeth weren't harmed. Sora, Riku, Serah and Snow were a bit shaken at what happened, but were okay. Those four rushed to Kairi and began to check on her.

"Wow, that's one big bruise…" Nora noted.

Serah placed a hand over Kairi's injury and the teen winced at the pain.

"Cure," Serah chanted.

The pain was gone as well as the bruise, as stated by Sora. After she was fully healed, Captain Sparrow looked around at his crew.

"Where did he go?" he asked.

"He must've disappeared when that light column came down on him," Gibbs replied.

As the others went around inspecting the survivors, Kairi saw that Elizabeth was making the sign of prayer. The particles of light floated towards the heavens and a thought came to the teen's mind.

'Is she sending them to the "Beyond"?' Kairi thought.

'Probably. But all those people,' Naminé thought, her voice entering her host's mind.

'Yeah…And what did he mean by…'stopping him'? Is he one of the people that's the Goddess was talking about?' Kairi added.

She tried not to cry as she didn't want anyone else getting hurt over her.

* * *

_Three hours ago, Kilika Temple, Great Hall…_

Tia Dalma, entering the area, suddenly stepped back as she saw something horrifying. The darkness that she sealed was gone, leaving behind black scars around the entrance to the Cloister of Trials. The statues had been destroyed, each cut into pieces. The statues of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon had their heads decapitated and Tia Dalma shuddered.

"H-He returned. H-How? Why?" she asked herself.

Sensing someone behind her and regaining her composure, she asked, "And what service can I do ya?"

The person standing behind her said, "Tell me where those kids you trained went."

"Oh. So you be the one that the Empire sent to kill me," Tia Dalma said, smile disappearing.

The person she was referring to was Vanitas.

"Ya too late as they been left," Tia Dalma told him.

She faced the masked prince and readied herself for a fight. Prince Vanitas was more than happy to oblige. Despite his calm demeanor, his _Anima_ looked very menacing as it glared at Tia Dalma with his odd yellow eyes. Vanitas' _Anima_ then flew towards one of the demolished statues and perched himself onto it.

"Well, if ya plan to kill me, don't expect it to be easy," Tia Dalma stated, extremely serious.

Vanitas summoned his red and black Keyblade.

When she saw it, Tia Dalma said, "So, ya a Key too. But what ya fight for be trivial compared to what's gonna transpire."

"Just shut up and fight," was all Vanitas muttered.

He leaped into the air and swung at Tia Dalma's neck. Before it could cut her, she disappeared and reappeared behind Vanitas.

"Firaga," Tia Dalma yelled and a large ball of flame shot out of her right hand.

It hit Vanitas in the back and he, using darkness, teleported behind Tia Dalma. He cut her in her back and laughed. He stopped once he saw that her body turned into mist.

"Missed," Tia Dalma said, reappearing on the top of the Great Hall's steps.

Chanting in an unknown tongue, Tia Dalma was able to summon a sigil of fire.

"From the Goddess' hand, burn my enemies to ashes with ya fury. Firaja," Tia Dalma chanted.

Vanitas was engulfed in the flames and was severely injured. The fires died and Tia Dalma could see the teen stagger.

Charging a massive amount of darkness into his body, he bellowed, "I'm not going to die here!"

Exhausted, he collapsed. His _Anima_ fell from the statue and onto the floor with a thud. Tia Dalma walked over to Vanitas and leaned down towards him. She was about to kill him when she saw his mask.

"Why do ya hide your face?" she asked.

Tia Dalma took off his mask and was shocked to see his face. "Y-Ya…? Ya can't be…!"

Tia Dalma backed away from the teen in shock. Vanitas began to stir awake and the only thing Tia Dalma could think of was running away.

Disappearing in a shower of dew drops, she thought, 'Who…? Why does he look…like…Sora?'

* * *

_So Vanitas looks like Sora. For those who've played Birth by Sleep, you already know the canon answer. But this version will be different. And to those who read the previous drafts already know. Review?_

_-miano53_


	10. Chapter Eight: Traverse Town

"_I will tell you what your friend needs right now. It is not your protection. He needs you to believe. You see, his heart hangs in the balance. It sleeps in the place between light and darkness. From all I can perceive, that means he will be looking for someone...one who believes in him, to show him the way home. Just as long as you love him...then he'll be able to find you when he truly wakes. He can follow that love back to where he belongs-the realm of light."_

_-unknown_

Chapter Eight: Traverse Town

"_Sora! Sora-kun! Where are you?"_

_A small four-year-old Sora rushed to his mother in their home within the village of Ashura. She had a worried look on her face and asked, "Are you okay?"_

"_Yup. Why?" he asked._

"_You don't remember what happened two days ago?" Lady Suzume asked._

_Sora thought about it and nothing came to mind. He remembered seeing a red-haired girl he thought was pretty. He sworn he had seen her before, but he couldn't remember._

* * *

_June 9__th__, Saronia, Northern Coast…_

After another two days, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Snow, Serah and their _Anima_ arrived at the coast of Saronia, the northeastern continent. Captain Sparrow and his surviving pirate gang bade them farewell by saying, "Well, this is as far as we can go. If we went any further, we'll get caught by Sanctum ships."

"Alright then. Thank you for your help, Mr. Sparrow," Sora said.

"That's 'Captain'. Why can't anyone remember that?" Captain Sparrow muttered.

The _Black Pearl _sailed off, heading to places unknown. With the Tracker's directions, the party then set off for their new destination: Traverse Town. As they traveled, they noticed that the climate was different than that of Gaia and of the island of Kilika.

The continent of Saronia's climate and vegetation was typical of that of northern continents. The climate was that of the Temperate climate and the vegetation consisted of pine, oak, ash and maple trees. Forests dotted the continent, making the place seem like a refuge for wild animals. Mountains surrounded the eastern and southeastern coasts of the region. A river cut through the continent and divided it into two regions: Traverse and Alessandria. A bridge connected the two regions and a checkpoint guarded the bridge.

The group found a place to rest at a clearing in the middle of one of the smaller forests near Traverse Town. Packing small provisions in bags that the pirates gave them, Snow, Serah and Riku began preparing for the trip to town. Kairi, however, was distracted by what the Tracker was telling her. She sat on the ground and looked at the Tracker intently.

Sora, worried about her, sat next to her and asked, "What's it saying now?"

"It's saying that we need to find a boy with blonde hair, blue eyes…and a falcon for an _Anima_. But, that's it," Kairi told him.

"Oh. A Falcon? We're looking for a Falcon?" Sora asked.

"I guess so. I never met one before," Kairi told him.

Smiling, Sora told a worried-looking Kairi, "Don't worry. I'm sure that nothing will happen."

"I don't know…" Roxas muttered.

"SHH!" Sora shushed him.

Noticing the change in the skies, Snow said, "It's gonna get really dark if we hang out here. So, let's just walk to Traverse Town now."

"Yeah, it's better than sleeping out here," Orion added, staying close to his host.

"Okay," Kairi replied.

Sora helped her up and she brushed the bottom of her clothes off. She looked around and noticed that something was odd. Sora noticed as well and saw that Naminé was nowhere to be found.

"Naminé? Naminé!" Kairi called out.

'Huh. That's weird. _Anima_ can't go too far without something bad happening,' Sora thought.

"Naminé!" Kairi called out again.

"You can't sense her?" Serah asked.

"N-No. This has never happened before. Naminé!" Kairi replied.

Instead of Naminé appearing, a host of Shadow Heartless appeared.

Sora summoned his Keyblade and said, "What in the…?"

Riku and Kairi also summoned their Keyblades and began attacking the Shadows. Snow and Serah joined, kicking, punching and shooting at the dark creatures.

Sora slashed two with one swing and defeated them quickly. Riku swiftly struck two in the face, killing them in three hits. Much to everyone's surprise, Kairi defeated the last of the Shadows with one swift slash to the head.

When the Heartless were defeated, Naminé, once again as a hamster, returned with a piece of cheese in her mouth.

"What the…?" Riku said, bewildered.

"Naminé, where have you been?" Kairi asked her.

"Um, I was hungry because you're hungry and I went to find food. Instead of finding berries, I found this in a bag nearby," Naminé explained.

Kairi picked up Naminé and sighed in relief. Sora still found it odd, but said nothing.

"Okay, let's hit the road," Riku said and the group left the clearing.

* * *

As they walked towards Traverse Town, they saw that the whole area was relatively low-tech. The roads were dirt roads and sheep and goats served as grass cutters. Signs were posted at crossroads to tell the lost traveler where to go. There were no lampposts or anything that was in the cities.

The Heartless in the region were of the Shadow, Soldier, Red Nocturne and Blue Rhapsody variety. The Heartless attacks were few and far between, making the trek to town rather easy.

Arriving at Traverse Town in the twilight hours, the group of five saw that the town was quite large. The town was made of five districts and each district was unique. The first district was the town's residential area. The second was the business district. The third was the courtyard and park of the town. The fourth district had a coliseum and something called a Medal Shop ran by bat-like, benevolent creatures called Moogles. The fifth and final district was the town's largest garden.

Entering the first district via the southernmost town gate, the five looked around and saw some modern conveniences from the Empire such as lamp posts, electricity, etc. The Tracker began to glow brightly and the group began walking in the direction of the second district. Much to their surprise, the Tracker had led them to a pub.

"Why a pub?" Sora asked

"Well, we'll never know if the guy's in there if we don't try," Kairi said and entered the pub.

The others followed her, much to their dismay. In the pub, the Tracker's glow suddenly died out.

"Huh? What just happened?" Kairi said, confused.

She looked around and saw no one worthy of note in the pub. The others did the same and Sora thought, 'Maybe it's broken for real this time?'

'I dunno. It was working fine days ago,' Roxas told him through thought.

"Hey, are you guys gonna sit down or what?" someone asked.

The group saw a 15 year old boy with blonde hair, blue eyes and a falcon perched on his shoulder. The white and black clothes that he wore were quite worn out and faded, indicating that he was quite poor. His _Anima _was a bit restless.

"We're a little young to be in a pub," Riku said to the boy.

"Oh, I thought you guys were customers," the boy said, looking a bit disappointed.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Kairi asked him.

"Oh, I'm a waiter here," the boy replied.

"Ventus! Stop lazing about and keep working," the pub owner yelled.

"Yes sir," the boy, Ventus, said and left.

Seeing Kairi's disappointment, Sora said, "Hmm, maybe we didn't go to the right place."

"Yeah, you're probably right. We should look around town and see if the Tracker works again," Riku added.

"But it was working fine moments…" Kairi started.

She was interrupted as a man came into the pub, yelling at the patrons, "The Heartless are coming! THE HEARTLESS ARE COMING! It's the end of the world, 'cause the Heartless are coming!"

"What?" the patrons asked.

"Just come to the First District!" the man screamed and left.

Many of the patrons, including the already drunk, left the pub. Ventus, in worry, said to them, "I don't know what's going on, but be careful."

The group, wondering if the Heartless rumors were real, headed straight for the First District. There, they found something that was rather sad. The monster was indeed a Heartless, but it was one of the friendly variety called a White Mushroom.

The White Mushroom looked around and someone said, "Ew, it looked at me."

It looked around again and someone said, "Its beady eyes are staring into my soul!"

"Out! Get out, Heartless! You don't belong here!" the crowd started yelling.

They began throwing rocks at it and the Heartless began crying. The way it cried sounded like a small child.

"Wah! Waah!" the White Mushroom wailed.

The five was shocked by the Heartless and was even more shocked when Ventus ran in front of the White Mushroom, protecting it.

"Ven, move aside!" one of the men in the multitude yelled.

"No! It didn't do anything to anybody and you're attacking it!" Ventus yelled.

"Ven, move or we'll make you move!" members the crowd began to yell.

The mob began throwing rocks again and two hit Ventus in the face, cutting and bruising him. Sora, Kairi, Riku and their _Anima_ ran up in front of the two and the crowd stopped their assault. Ventus picked up the White Mushroom and the group left town.

As they left, the crowd yelled, "Out! Out! Out! Get that Heartless outta here!"

* * *

Outside of town, the group began talking with Ventus. As they did, Kairi proceeded to heal his wounds.

"Why did you defend that Heartless?" Riku asked him.

"Something told me to," Ventus replied vaguely.

"So, Ventus…" Kairi began.

"Oh, you can call me Ven. Ven Albini and this is my _Anima, _Shoji. What are your names?" Ven said, reintroducing himself and Shoji.

"I'm Sora Nakashima, this is Roxas. That's Riku Nakayama and that wo...er, _husky_ _Anima_ is Kiba. That's Kairi Hasegawa and that hamster _Anima_ is Naminé. Snow Villiers and Orion are over there next to Riku and Serah Farron and Nora's next to Kairi," Sora replied.

"Oh, so you're a Hawk and Riku's a Wolf?" Ven asked.

"Wha…! How did you…?" Sora yelled, shocked.

"Well, it's obvious that Kiba isn't a husky. He's too big. Roxas looks a lot like Shoji, tellin' me that he's a Hawk," Ven replied.

The five looked at each other, a bit interested in the boy.

"So, you're not afraid of them? Or us for traveling with them?" Serah asked.

"Nope. There's not really a reason to be. And I'm just happy I met some people that are like me," Ven answered with a smile.

Turning his attention back to the friendly White Mushroom, Ven asked it, "Why did you come into town?"

Much to the group's surprise, Ven was able to understand why the Heartless came into the occupied town as it was using sign language.

His _Anima_, Shoji, translated for it and said, "She says that she was looking for her mom and dad. She wanted to see how they were doing and when she came into town, she was attacked by the townsfolk."

"So, she doesn't want to attack us?" Kairi asked.

"Nope. She just wants to find her parents. She said that she was separated from them when they were attacked by Heartless on their way back home. After the attack, she remembers waking up and going into town," Ven replied for the White Mushroom.

"And how long ago was that?" Riku questioned.

Ven asked the White Mushroom and she couldn't remember.

"Oh, well that doesn't help," Kairi said.

The Heartless pulled Ven's arm as if she was trying to say something and Ven translated what she wanted to tell the group.

"Oh, she remembers that her family and she were taking a hike through the waterfall cave in the south. When they were attacked, she dropped something of her mother's in the waterfall," he translated.

"Well, we can't head into the cave now. It's too dark," Kiba said.

"You're right. We'll head out in the morning," Riku said.

"So, are you sure you can stay out here by yourself until morning?" Ven asked the White Mushroom.

The Heartless nodded her head and waved goodbye to the group. She then disappeared in a corridor of darkness and headed to places unknown. Afterwards, Ven led the five to the town's inn, where he also worked. There, they stayed the night, resting up for the next day.

* * *

"_Whoa! That's Zanarkand?" a sixteen-year-old, brown haired teen, exclaimed._

"_Yes, Lord Azure. That is the wondrous summoner city-state of Zanarkand," a retainer told him. _

_The young Lord Azure looked out the window of a posh airship and was excited as he had never been to the largest city on the planet of Gaia. His servants, lined up and awaiting orders, were equally as excited and was going to treat the trip as a vacation, on Lord Azure's orders._

_The airship landed in the airship docks in the city's western outskirts and the youth exited the airship. He was greeted by Lord Zaon, Lady Yunalesca's husband, along with other nobles of Zanarkand. The noble wore the gold and mauve ceremonial armor of the Knights of Zanarkand. His weapon of a broadsword was on his waist and he bowed to the teen._

"_Ah, Lord Azure Cielo of Saronia. We are happy that you made it to Zanarkand. But, I thought King Cecil and Queen Rosa were going to come…" Lord Zaon told him._

"_Uh…They couldn't make it...My aunt's pregnant and my uncle wanted to stay with her. So, he sent me," Azure said._

_Lord Zaon had a look of disappointment. He perked up moments later and told the young noble, "Well, I must send you to His Majesty at once. Follow me."_

_With that, the youth and his entourage followed the Zanarkand welcome party._

* * *

The next morning, Sora woke up to a slight headache. He shook his head and looked around the room. Snow, Riku and he shared one room at the local inn while Kairi and Serah took another.

He hadn't a clue what the dream he had was about and he didn't care to know. So, he stretched, jumped out of bed and immediately regretted it as he didn't land on his feet properly. Sora tripped and fell with a thud and Roxas snickered.

"What was that?" he laughed.

"Quiet!" Sora told him.

His _Anima _kept laughing and Sora knew that it was rather funny. He just didn't want to admit it. Roxas' laughter awoken Riku and Snow, who both sat up on their beds and glared at Sora.

"I told you to be quiet, Roxas," Sora said.

"Hey, it was funny," Roxas retorted.

Seeing that it was about eight in the morning from a crystal-powered clock, Sora and the others started getting ready for the day. After doing so, the three exited their room and waited outside of Kairi and Serah's room. Sora knocked on the door repeatedly, trying to get them to come out.

"They're probably changing. And it'll be rude for you to just open the door, Sora," Riku told him.

"Yeah. Knowing, Serah, she'll probably shoot you," Snow smirked.

Sora's face paled as he didn't want to get shot.

"So, what can we do?" Sora asked him.

"Just wait. You know girls take forever to dress," Kiba replied.

"What?" someone yelled.

The door to Kairi's room swung open and the two teen boys saw that Kairi was still in her nightwear. She frowned at them and yelled, "No, I don't!"

"Then why aren't you dressed?" Riku asked.

"I just woke up. Just give me a few minutes," Kairi said, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

She closed the door and the two boys noticed that Ventus was barreling towards them. "Why are you running?" Riku asked him.

"Oh…Well, I always do that," Ven replied.

Sora and Riku looked confused and Ven said, "Oh, the inn's about to serve breakfast. Would you like to…?"

Sora was the first to rush pass him, heading for the dining room. Ven followed him while Riku was the last to go. Once there and receiving their food, the first to complain about the amount was Sora.

Looking at the bowl of porridge and eggs, Sora said, "What is this?"

"It's food," Riku said, eating.

"This isn't a full portion!" Roxas said angrily.

"Yeah! It's a half a portion! I'm a growing teen! I need a full portion of food!" Sora yelled.

"Sora, just eat," Riku told him.

Ven gave Sora another bowl of food and he said, "Thank you for my full portion! See? Now, I got a full portion!"

Riku rolled his eyes and Ven asked, "So, do you think you guys can help that Heartless?"

"Yeah!" Sora said with his mouth full.

"We'll help her," Roxas added.

"Why do you ask?" Riku asked Ven.

Ven sighed and said, "Well, I can't go. I was told to stay here. My boss said so…"

"Okay, then we'll go with Kairi and Serah to the cave," Sora said, finishing his food.

After waiting another hour for Kairi and Serah to get ready, the five left the inn and headed outside of town. There, they found the small White Mushroom from before.

"Did you wait for us all night?" Sora asked.

The White Mushroom shook her head. Not knowing sign language or any way to communicate with a friendly Heartless, Sora looked to the others for help. Kairi pulled out the Tracker and began concentrating on it.

A few moments later, a shower of light came from it, surrounding the Heartless.

When the light died down, Sora asked, "What was that?"

"I dunno. But the light was pretty," someone said.

"Who said that?" Riku asked, looking around.

"Um…Down here," the voice said.

Everyone looked and saw that the little White Mushroom. "I don't think it talked," Kiba told Riku.

The group was about to agree when the White Mushroom said, "Um, I did say something."

"Huh?" Roxas said.

In his confusion, Sora yelled, "H-how did it talk? Why is it talking? Did I go mental? Do I need that breath mint called a 'ventos'?"

The others stared at him and Riku immediately said, "Ignore him."

"So? So? Are you going to help me?" the White Mushroom asked.

"Yeah, but first things first. What is your name?" Snow asked.

"Oh…It's…um…Er…" the White Mushroom said.

Moments passed and she immediately yelled, "Nanako! My name is Nanako. My parents moved from Eblan and came to Traverse Town a while back."

"That's it? Do you have a last name?" Sora asked.

Nanako looked confused and Riku immediately said, "She doesn't remember. Let's go."

The group headed south for the waterfall cave…

* * *

_Waterfall cave, 1 p.m.…_

Just before they could go in, Nanako stopped them.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked her.

"Um…There's a reason why I couldn't get my mom's thingie from here," Nanako told them.

"What is it?" Kairi asked.

"There's this REALLY big Heartless in the cave and it won't let me get that thing I dropped!" Nanako told them.

Confident with his experience in fighting Heartless and his use of the Keyblade, Sora told the benevolent Heartless, "Don't worry. We'll handle it. How hard can the Heartless be?"

The White Mushroom looked worried and followed the group into the cave.

* * *

_Waterfall cave, entrance…_

The cave, true to its name, was a dark cave filled with waterfalls. Near the entrance was a stone path that served as a bridge over the water. As they walked through the cave, Riku and Kairi immediately had negative reactions to something in the air.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"That stench," Riku muttered.

"I'm not feeling so good," Kairi said, looking ill.

Serah put a hand to Kairi's forehead and said, "You're burning up."

"See? I told you," Nanako said.

Before they could get any further, a sphere of darkness appeared in front of them. The sphere brought strong winds that began pulling the five, their _Anima_ and Heartless into it. Each tried to run away, but was unsuccessful and was pulled into the vortex.

* * *

Sora woke up to find himself in what looked like a darkened hallway. An odd, dark substance covered the red carpeted floors and marble-tiled walls. The windows that lined the hall were tinted, allowing a small portion of light to enter. Darkness filled the air, disturbing Sora greatly.

"Where are we, Roxas?" Sora asked.

There was no response. Sora got up and looked around. Roxas was nowhere to be found and there wasn't a tugging on his heart to alert him on where he was.

"Roxas? Roxas!" Sora yelled.

"It's no use," someone said.

Sora turned to see a dark shadow that looked…human.

"Who are you?" Sora asked, summoning his Keyblade.

"If you wish for your _Anima_ to return, you have to face yourself," the shadow told him in a dark voice.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"You'll have to go alone, without the help of your friends," the shadow said.

It disappeared, confusing the poor teen. With a sigh, Sora muttered, "I guess I really have to hoof it alone…"

* * *

_So, Sora's all alone and separated from his friends. Since the story's focus switched over to Sora, there will be more character development for him. And the other chapters will do the same for the other members too. Review?_

_-miano53_


	11. Chapter Nine: The Second Seal

"_Falcons and Hawks are actually closely related to each other. Each nation has similar traits, such as the ability to glide, ride the winds and jump great distances. Just like their Hawk cousins, the people of the Falcon tribe are very claustrophobic and will find any method to remove themselves from walled in conditions. Unlike their Hawk cousins, the Falcon tribes usually stay in towns, despite the obvious prejudice shown to them."_

_-Master Ansem the Wise on the relationship between the Hawk and Falcon nomadic nations_

Chapter Nine: The Second Seal

"_W-Who are you? What have you done to Prince Chao? Answer me!" Lord Yami Tsurugi of Eblan yelled._

_A figure clad in armor of blackest night laughed flippantly and charged in with a red and ebony Keyblade. Lord Yami summoned his own, a Keyblade in the shape of a dragon's wing and an angel's for the teeth. He blocked the attack and a pulse of energy came from the clash, shattering nearby windows._

_As Lord Yami struggled to overpower his foe, the armored man cackled madly. The Eblanese Keyblade Master was pushed back, nearly falling off the edge. As he regained his balance, Lord Yami was stabbed in the stomach by his enemy's Keyblade._

_His vision began to die as the assailant took off his helmet, revealing a man that looked like Prince Chao, but something was off. He laughed at his pain and yelled, "None can stop me! I'll destroy it all!_

* * *

_With Riku…_

Riku opened his eyes to see that he was in what looked like the darkened interior of an old school. Lockers lined the halls and the area reeked of darkness. An odd, red substance stuck to the walls and Riku dared not touch it.

"Where is everyone?" Riku asked.

He found no response from Kiba. Riku looked and saw that Kiba was nowhere to be found.

"Kiba? Kiba! Where are you?" Riku said.

"Why are you so worried about him when you should worry about yourself?" someone asked.

Riku jumped up as he saw a shadow rise from the ground. The shadow shaped itself into a humanoid shape, but the figure was clad in black monk robes. A mask covered their face and a hood covered its head. Its red eyes visible from the eyeholes in the mask stared at Riku and it unnerved him.

"What are you supposed to be?" Riku asked it while summoning his Keyblade.

"If you wish to see your _Anima _again, I suggest you do as I say," the shadow said in a dark voice.

"What? Why?" Riku yelled.

"Because if you don't…" the shadow started.

It summoned an orb that showed Kairi and the White Mushroom Heartless called Nanako locked in a cage. The cage was suspended above a bottomless pit of water and they looked terrified. What shocked him most was that Kiba was locked in a similar cage, along with everyone else's _Anima_.

"I'll drop these cages and everyone dies," the shadow said.

Scoffing, Riku muttered, "What do you want me to do?"

"Find an orb in the deepest recesses of this place and face yourself. After doing so, you'll find a way to where I locked them up. But don't slack off as my patience is rather thin," the shadow told him.

It disappeared, leaving Riku to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

_Moments earlier, with Kairi…_

Kairi woke up and saw that she was alone in what looked like the interior of the cave. Apparently, the sphere led her further into the cave. She looked around and saw that Nanako was near and looked rather nervous.

"Where's Riku and Sora?" Kairi asked her.

"I dunno. That big sphere thing must've took 'em," Nanako said.

"Ah, there you are."

"W-What was that?" Naminé asked, her form changing to a cat.

"You won't escape from me this time, Princess."

Dark tendrils appeared from deep within the cave and grabbed onto Kairi and Nanako. Naminé was also grabbed and the tendrils pulled them further in.

* * *

_With Serah…_

Waking up in a similar location to that of Riku, Serah scanned her surroundings to find that Nora, her _Anima_, was gone. She panicked, believing that she was dead or worse.

"Nora! Nora! Where are you? Answer me!" she yelled.

"It's no use."

A dark figure appeared from the shadows. It stared at Serah from under its mask and she asked, "W-Who are you?"

"No one in particular. If you wish to see your _Anima _again, you'll do as I say," the shadow told her.

"And why would I do that?" Serah asked.

The shadow summoned an image of Kairi, Nanako and the group's _Anima_ locked in cages, suspended above the bottomless pit of water.

"Because I'll just drop these cages and they'll drown. And that'll kill you and your friends, I'm afraid," the shadow told her.

Feeling she had no other choice, Serah asked it, "What do you want me to do?"

"You have to sacrifice what you love most," the shadow told her.

Serah, knowing that to be Snow, stared at him in bewilderment.

"Eh, the choice is yours. But I would hurry. I won't guarantee that my patience will last," it said and disappeared in shadow.

* * *

_With Sora…_

After meeting with a shadowy figure and finding out moments later that he had to face himself, Sora walked through the dark halls. He looked around for his doppelganger and saw no one after nearly an hour.

'Man, this is taking forever,' Sora thought.

"S-slow down, Riku!" someone breathlessly yelled.

"Too slow, Sora! See ya in class!" another yelled.

Sora saw two kids run pass him. To his surprise, the two oddly looked like Riku and he when they were younger. More kids ran passed him and Sora recognized them as the kids who lived in Ashura before his family moved.

The halls changed to that of a school's and Sora saw the children entered the classroom. Wanting to get a good look without getting caught, Sora stood close to the door and peeked in through the small window. For some reason, Riku's mother was standing in front of the class and began teaching.

"Everyone, go back to your seats," she said in Radiantan.

Sora noted that the children were of those he grew up with in Ashura. He turned his attention back to Lady Chiyo and she began her lecture.

"Everyone, turn to page 84 and Riku, please read the first page," Lady Chiyo said

"Yes, Nakayama-sama," Riku's younger self replied.

Lady Chiyo looked pleased and the younger Riku started reading.

"Thanks to the efforts of the surviving Keybearers after the Keyblade War, the World was saved. But, due to the sins of the foolish people, creatures called Heartless appeared in many parts of the World and began attacking the people. Others saw them being attacked and came together to help defeat the Heartless. They were the very first 'Templars'," he read.

Sora smirked as he began to remember what happened. He heard his younger self snoring and looked in the child's direction. Sora remembered being sleepy and bored that day.

"Ahem!" Lady Chiyo said, tossing up a piece of chalk.

She glared at the young Sora and the younger Riku continued.

"The Templars destroyed many Heartless and saved many lives. After doing that, they became the security force of Sanctum and became two factions. One was called PSICOM and directly protected the Primarch while the other kept the name Templars. Because of them, we can live in the cities in safety," Riku read.

He was interrupted when his cohort said in his sleep, "Mmm…donuts…"

'Why was I dreaming about donuts?' Sora thought.

Lady Chiyo, angered, tossed the chalk in the air, grabbed it and threw it at the young boy's head. It hit and knocked little Sora out of his seat.

"Ow!" he yelled, holding his head.

'That really did hurt. I never knew chalk could hurt so much,' Sora thought.

The scenery changed back to the darkened halls and Sora thought to start looking for his doppelganger again. He kept walking and found the halls leading him to nowhere. After what felt like ten minutes, he stopped as the path split into three.

'So, which leads to which?' Sora thought.

"What is taking you so long?"

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and saw the dark figure from before. The figure's arms were folded and Sora could see wisps of darkness seeping from him.

"You do realize that my patience will only last for so long," the figure told him.

"What do you want? I didn't see anyone but a younger me! And I'm not fighting my little kid self!" Sora yelled.

"You've no choice," the figure told him.

He summoned an orb that showed Kairi, the White Mushroom named Nanako, Roxas and the other _Anima_ locked away in cages. The cages were suspended over a bottomless pit of water and Sora knew what the figure was going to do.

"Okay, okay! I'll fight myself…But how?" Sora said.

The dark figure smashed the orb onto the ground and darkness billowed from it. When it died, Sora was standing face to face with a dark counterpart of himself. The doppelganger held a shadowy version of the Kingdom Key and went into Sora's battle stance. Sora did the same, scared for his life.

* * *

_With Snow…_

Snow, looking for Serah, Riku, Sora and Kairi, walked down the darkened halls, not knowing where he was going. The teen also hadn't a clue where Orion went. He didn't feel a tugging at his heart, despite his _Anima _being missing. He was told by a dark figure that to save his friends and the _Anima_, he would have to find an orb by sacrificing what he loved most.

He figured it was Serah…and didn't want to do such a thing. But if he didn't…then everyone, including himself, would die.

"Ah, having a dilemma, are we?"

Snow turned to see a man wearing all leather. His skin was like gold and his shaggy hair covered parts of his face. His _Anima_ was that of a copperhead snake coiled around his right arm. He looked at Snow with golden, snake-slit eyes and smirked.

"Who are you? Are you with that shadow guy?" Snow asked.

"Nope," the man said simply in an accent similar to that of those from Hollow Bastion.

He held out his hand to Snow and said, "The name's Rumpelstiltskin, magician extraordinaire."

"Rumpel-what?" Snow asked.

"Rumpelstiltskin and Gold, my _Anima_. And you're Snow Villiers, guardian to Kairi Hasegawa. And, yes, I've known about you, Miss Serah Farron, her sister Claire and the Oerba family. Protectors of that child of light," Rumpelstiltskin told him.

Snow readied his fists and the odd man laughed.

"Fighting me won't get you out of this darkness, dearie. And the price it wants you to pay to escape is a rather steep one. Are you really willing to destroy what you love most? Your dear Serah?" Rumpelstiltskin told him.

Snow calmed himself and asked, "So, what can I do?"

"Well, you can do nothing. Your magic and abilities is nothing against the creature who imprisoned you here and took the life of poor Nanako the White Mushroom Heartless," Rumpelstiltskin replied.

'Then…If I can't do anything, then…I'll…' Snow thought.

"Sure you'll be considered a failure…And that's where I come in," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Snow was shocked and the man said, "Yes, I read your thoughts. One of my many abilities. Also…"

Rumpelstiltskin waved his left hand over his cupped right, revealing a red and black orb. He handed it to Snow and the teen was suspicious.

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"'Catch'? What's the catch?" Rumpelstiltskin said, avoiding the question.

'Catch 22?' Snow thought.

"Not quite. I just have a vested interest in your survival. So, there's no need for me to make any deals today," Rumpelstiltskin answered.

Snow kept silent, still not trusting the man.

"If anything was to happen to Miss Kairi, then all is lost. And that makes it a lot harder to run my business if the world goes to pot again," Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Then…If I take this…" Snow started.

"You'll save your friends and stop the darkness from destroying life as we know it…again," Rumpelstiltskin told him.

Snow kept looking at the orb, unsure what to do.

"Don't worry, dearie. Just give that monster the orb and you'll get your friends and your _Anima_ back," Rumpelstiltskin told him.

He disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke and the scenery changed to that of an interior of a cave. Remembering where he really was, Snow ran down the path, hoping the sound of the waterfall would lead him to the others.

* * *

_With Serah…_

Serah kept looking for Snow, hoping there would be a way to find the orb without sacrificing him. Hours went by and she saw no one, just the darkened halls. She grimaced as she had stepped in something red…and sticky.

Not wanting to think about it, Serah kept her pace. A few moments after stumbling onto a locked door, the teen girl was ready to give up.

'I…I can't…I wish Claire was here to help me,' Serah thought.

"Well, she can't. She ran away, not wanting the responsibilities of being a guardian."

Serah saw the same man that Snow had met. He bowed to her and said, "Rumpelstiltskin and Gold, at your service."

"Who…Where did…?" Serah started.

"I just said my name. And I just got back from saving your beloved, Snow," Rumpelstiltskin told her.

'Snow's okay? That's good. But what about…?' Serah thought.

"Your dear friend, Kairi, and your _Anima_ are still in danger, dearie. But, I can help you save them," Rumpelstiltskin said.

He did the same with Serah as he did Snow. He handed her a black and green orb. Serah took it and was justifiably suspicious.

"What's the catch? Why help me?" Serah asked.

"There's none. I only wish to help the ones that are protecting the child of light. She can stop the dark creature that is to come. She can stop him before he destroys everything," Rumpelstiltskin replied.

Serah looked into his golden, snake-like eyes and said, "But I sense much darkness from you."

"Darkness isn't necessarily evil. The Goddess intended it to coincide with light, to keep balance in the world. You already know that from your tutelage from Eraqus Torino," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Serah remembered and said nothing.

"Well, just take the orb to the seal at the end of this cave. You'll find your friends there. And…We'll see each other again. Just remember to call Rumpelstiltskin," the man said, disappearing.

The scenery changed to the interior of the cave and Serah looked at the orb once more.

'I have a feeling that this Rumpelstiltskin will be more than we can handle…' Serah thought.

* * *

_With Riku…_

"HEY!" someone yelled.

Riku turned to see someone who looked like his younger self running over to him. He became suspicious as he remembered the dark shadow's words on his fighting his doppelganger.

"Hey. Have you seen a kid with spikey brown hair, a white shirt and red shorts?" his younger self asked.

"No…No, I haven't," Riku replied.

His younger self looked worried and said, "You sure?"

"Pretty sure," Riku responded.

"Riku!" someone yelled.

The two Rikus looked and saw their cousin, Chizuru, running after them. Riku immediately felt sad as Chizuru was like a sister to him and he missed her dearly. When she arrived, she stared at him with her turquoise eyes and yelled, "Riku! Why does that guy look like you?"

"Ow! Why are you yelling?" little Riku yelled back.

"'Cuz I can!" Chizuru yelled.

'Okay…I forgot how loud she was…' Riku thought.

"So, where's Sora?" little Riku asked her.

"Oh…He went home to get an ice pack. That chalk to the forehead really hurt him, y'know," Chizuru replied.

The two children looked at Riku and his younger self said, "So…Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for something," the older Riku responded.

"Oh, what is it? A ball?" Chizuru asked.

"Uh…yeah," the older Riku responded.

"Okay! We'll help you!" Chizuru responded.

Riku was about to say something when he heard yelling. "Wait for me!" little Sora screamed.

The child had a small bandage on his forehead and was immediately made fun of by the two children. Wanting to find the doppelganger and the orb himself, Riku began walking ahead of them. To his surprise, the three quickly caught up with him and followed him.

Riku kept walking with his younger counterpart and others when he saw that the halls changed to the streets of Ashura Village.

He looked around and said, "This looks familiar."

"Hey! Hey! Riku, I'll race ya to the shed!" little Sora yelled.

The two children ran off and Riku immediately remembered what happened. 'This was the day when…Oh no…' he thought.

"Hey! Wait!" Riku yelled.

His younger self, while running, turned to look at him and didn't see he was about to run into a tree. When he did, it was too late and he slammed headfirst into the tree, falling unconscious.

"Riku!" little Sora screamed.

Chizuru ran over to the two and saw that the younger Riku had a large gash on his forehead. That made Sora panic.

"Call for Auntie Chiyo!" Chizuru yelled.

"W-what? Why me?" Sora said, still panicking.

"You're the fastest! Go!" Chizuru yelled.

"Wait," Riku told them.

"What? We gotta help Riku and you want us to wait?" Chizuru yelled.

Riku took out a small potion bottle and pour the substance onto the wound. The wound healed, leaving a large scar on his forehead. Pleased, Riku said, "He should be okay."

"What are you guys screaming about?" little Riku said, waking up.

"You're okay!" little Sora yelled.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" little Riku told him.

Chizuru hugged her cousin and the group heard someone say, "Bravo! Look who's the hero."

Riku and the children turned to see a dark shadow. The shadow shaped itself into a dark version of Riku and had its arms folded.

"Huh? Who is that?" Chizuru asked.

"Well, I don't know about him, but run away from here as fast as you can," Riku said.

"O-Okay," little Sora said.

The trio ran off and Riku quickly summoned his Keyblade. The doppelganger did the same and the two charged at each other. Blades clashed and Riku found that the replica had the same strength as he.

"You know you never cared about others, not after the incident," the replica said.

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked.

"This whole thing with helping those kids…that was all an act. You would rather see people suffer after what the world did to you," the replica told him.

"You're lying," Riku said, pushing the replica back.

"Am I?" the replica said, clashing blades with Riku once more.

"I…" Riku stared to say.

"You want everyone to suffer just like you have. That is your true nature: a dark nature. You don't want to help that Kairi girl. She's just like everyone else. She needs to suffer like you have," the doppelganger told him.

"No! That's not true! I wouldn't want that for her!" Riku yelled.

Riku pushed back his shadowy doppelganger and he could see a man in leather making a pushing motion. The man kept making the motion and the doppelganger began to charge at the distracted Riku. Before Riku could make heads or tails of what the odd man was trying to tell him, he was pinned against the wall by the shadow.

"The lies you tell yourself with destroy you," the doppelganger told him.

"You're wrong. I'm not lying…I don't want anyone to suffer like I have…" Riku said.

He felt energy grow in his hands and saw blue flames. Making the motion the man had shown him, Riku released the energy into a spell called Dark Fire. The doppelganger was pushed back and released the teen.

Recovering, Riku found himself saying, "Even if I have darkness in my heart now, I'll use it and return it to light."

The shadowy double disappeared, leaving behind a blue and black orb. Riku picked it up and heard, "Hee-hee-hee-hee. You did it."

Riku saw the man again and was told his name: Rumpelstiltskin.

"So, you were trying to help me learn a spell?" Riku asked.

"Not quite. You've already known the spell, dearie. I just gave you a little push," the odd magician told him.

Riku looked back at the orb and Rumpelstiltskin told him, "And what your double said is true. You do hold the darkness of suffering in your heart. You've held it since your father died. And it's only gotten worse since the Sanctum has been attacking your clan."

Remembering the many attacks on his clan by the Sanctum, Riku said, "You…You're right. I…I did want people to suffer like I did…I wanted revenge. But that was a long time ago."

"W-Who said getting revenge was a bad thing?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"It is. It comes with a steep price and I'm not willing to pay it. So, here," Riku said, handing the orb to the magician.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at it and said, "I've no need of that. But you do. Just head to the back of the cave and you'll find your friends and _Anima_."

The man disappeared and Riku was highly suspicious of him.

'Who is that guy? Why is he helping me? And…is he the same as that shadow?' Riku thought.

The surrounding changed to the cave's interior and Riku caught the scent of the others. He ran off, heading deeper into the cave.

* * *

_With Sora…_

Sora had great trouble trying to fight off his doppelganger. Every attack that he performed was countered by his clone. To make things worse, his doppelganger kept taunting him.

It kept telling him that he was too weak to protect Kairi. Sora tried not to listen, but started to doubt himself as he fought.

He swung at the shadowy double and it ducked. It retaliated by punching Sora in the stomach and knocking him back. His Keyblade was knocked out of his hands and Sora cried out, "Oh no!"

He tried to reach for it when the double kicked it away.

It pointed its weapon at Sora's neck and said, "See? You're weak. You cannot protect anyone. And the world has no need for you."

Sora closed his eyes and expected the end.

'Mom, Dad, I'm sorry…' he thought.

"You're going to give up that easily, dearie?"

Sora opened his eyes to see that time had stopped. A man in leather had appeared and was standing next to the fallen Sora. He helped him up and introduced himself as Rumpelstiltskin.

"Uh…What kind of name is that?" Sora asked.

"It's an old name…from the Old World. But never mind that…I'm here to help you with your dilemma," Rumpelstiltskin told him.

"What dilemma?" Sora asked.

"Well, that thing right there is trying to kill you. And it is right. You are weak. Too weak to protect anyone without the Keyblade," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Sora was dumbfounded as he didn't know anyone else knew about the Keyblade. He also felt a bit downtrodden as the man had agreed with his shadowy clone.

'I…I'm not…' Sora thought.

"Yes you are. You're weak, but…this is where I come in. I can teach you how to harness the power that Tia Dalma helped you discover," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Sora said nothing, listening to the man.

"All you need to remember is that power is everything. It will give you what you want most: protecting Kairi," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Sora thought about it and the magician added, "Also, it will help you keep her…and get revenge on those who killed your family…right in front of your face."

"I…I…I don't know why they went after them…and I want to protect Kairi. But…" Sora said.

"But what?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"But I don't need whatever you're offering, 'Mr. Suspicious Guy'. I know where my power comes from. My friends!" Sora said, not knowing where the words came from.

The Keyblade returned to his hands and Sora slashed at Rumpelstiltskin. He missed as the man disappeared and time resumed. The doppelganger was shocked to see that Sora was standing.

"How?" it asked.

"Even though I'm weak alone, my friends are my power! And I'm theirs!" Sora declared.

He jumped in the air and slashed the shadow in two. With a screech, it disappeared, leaving behind a yellow and black orb. Sora picked it up and felt it trembling in his hands.

"So, you got it."

The shadow figure from before reappeared. Its red eyes glared at Sora and the teen said, "I got the orb. Where's Kairi and the others?"

The figure snapped its fingers and transported Sora and itself elsewhere…

* * *

_With Riku, Serah and Snow…_

The trio met up with each other on the final level of the cave. The area had a single path that led to a massive waterfall. Near the waterfall were their _Anima_, Kairi and Nanako. All were imprisoned in cages and were hanging above the bottomless pool of water.

A large sigil was on the ground near the cages and depicted a dark beast in chains. Its ruby red eyes stared at the group and Riku felt as if it was staring into his soul. He looked to the cages and called out, "Kairi! Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes, but…That thing…" Kairi said.

Nanako began to cry and Snow rushed in to save her. That is until he was pushed back by a gale.

"Oh. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The group saw the dark figure from before. He held Sora by the scruff of his shirt and threw him at Riku. Riku tried to catch his friend, but the two fell to the ground.

"If you want your precious _Anima _back, you'll give me the orbs…" the figure said.

"Here. You can have it. Now let Kairi and our _Anima _go," Snow said.

"And my mom's necklace!" Nanako yelled.

"And the necklace," Serah added.

The four gave the orbs to the figure, placing them on the ground and rolling them towards him. The figure picked them up and began to laugh. His laughter increased in volume and he yelled, "The second seal has been broken!"

He exploded in darkness, changing his shape into that of a giant wolf. The dark wolf glared at the four with red eyes and was about to attack…when it was shot by a fireball through its chest. The beast roared in fury and melted away.

Before Riku or anyone else could react, they suddenly disappeared in a shower of light.

* * *

_Outside…_

"Is…Is everyone okay?" Snow asked.

"Yeah…" Riku replied.

The others were slowly recovering from the traumatic events inside of the waterfall cave. Riku, sighing, looked up at the skies and saw that it was nighttime. Wanting to return to town, then rest, he tried to coax his comrades to stand.

Kairi was about to when she fainted.

"Kairi!" Snow, Serah and Sora yelled.

Nanako the Heartless looked at Kairi and said, "She's probably tried. Those cages took our strength and made us tired."

"Okay. We have to head back n…What's that?" Serah asked, looking at a small necklace Nanako held.

"Oh…Mom's necklace! Yay!" Nanako exclaimed.

Worried for Kairi's wellbeing, Sora said, "Can we please talk later? Kairi's in trouble!"

With that, the group returned to Traverse Town.

* * *

_Early the next morning, June 11__th__…_

Riku and the others waited for Kairi to wake up in the town's inn. She was quite pale and no one knew if she would recover. As Serah and Snow watched over her, Riku and Sora were told to deliver the necklace to Ven.

As they headed to the pub, Sora asked Riku, "So…What do you think saved us?"

"I dunno. But…I wouldn't be surprised if it was this guy I met," Riku said.

Sora stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked, the wolf_ Anima_ standing next to his host.

"Uh…Was the guy named…?" Roxas started, perched on Sora's left shoulder.

"Rumpelstiltskin? Yeah," Riku replied.

"So you met him too? Why did he help us?" Sora asked.

"Probably because he wanted to help Kairi…But…I'm sure he has other intentions," Riku told him.

"He didn't look really trustworthy…But he did save us. So, I'll give him that," Sora said.

The duo and their _Anima_ continued towards the pub and arrived moments later. After entering the emptied establishment, they saw Ven sleeping at one of the tables. He snored quietly while his _Anima_ Shoji slept, perched on his right shoulder.

Sora shook Ven awake and the teen yelped in fright.

"W-What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Uh…You told us to come back with this," Riku said, showing the necklace.

Ven took it and said, "Mrs. Narukami's necklace. T-Thanks. So, that means you helped Nanako?"

"Ven, who is it? We're closed."

The three saw the Eblanese proprietor, Mr. Narukami. The older man with a fox for an _Anima_ looked at Ventus and then at the necklace. He glared and said, "Where did you find this?"

Sora and Riku explained what happened, with Riku leaving out the parts on meeting Heartless Nanako, Rumpelstiltskin and the shadowy figure in the waterfall cave. Sora wanted to add it in, but Riku silenced him. After doing so, Mr. Narukami took the necklace and stared at it.

"So…Forgive me?" Ven asked.

The man replied in an unexpected manner to Sora. As for Riku, he knew the reply would be, "No."

"Wh-Why not? Mrs. Narukami did! I…I…I didn't…!" Ven yelled in disbelief.

"Leave. Just…leave and never come back. I don't want to see your face in town ever again," Mr. Narukami told him.

Ven, in tears, rushed out of the pub. Mr. Narukami looked at Riku and Sora and asked, "Why did you get involved in this? We didn't need your help. Especially not to find a lost necklace!"

Riku said nothing. Sora, however, yelled, "We were trying to help Ven! What was so bad about that?"

"He…Never mind. You Wolves and Hawks always meddle in things that don't concern you. That's why you all always get in trouble with the Sanctum. Putting your noses where it doesn't belong…and bringing darkness into the world because of it…" Mr. Narukami muttered.

Instead of trying to reason with the owner, Riku led Sora out of the pub and back to the inn.

* * *

_Later…_

After Kairi woke up, the group under Riku's leadership wanted to leave town before anything worse could happen. They did and had Ventus join them. Before they could get too far, they were stopped by Nanako on the side of the southern road.

"Oh…So…it didn't work?" the Heartless asked.

"No…Your dad got mad after we gave him the necklace," Sora said.

Nanako looked at Ven and said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay…Your dad didn't like us being friends anyway…since I'm a Falcon and you were…well…" Ven muttered.

The group was about to leave when someone said, "Wait."

Nanako's mother, Mrs. Narukami, appeared and she held the necklace in her hands. With a sad look, she asked, "Where's Nanako-_chan_? Where's my daughter?"

Kairi looked at the White Mushroom and the woman walked over to her. The White Mushroom stared at her, not knowing what to do.

"This is her?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Ven said.

"Mom, don't blame Ven for what happened," Nanako told her mother.

Surprised that the Heartless could speak, Nanako's mother said, "You can talk? I thought Heartless couldn't speak."

"That compass-thing helped me. Anyway, please don't blame Ven," Nanako told her.

Her mother looked at Ven and said, "I never did blame him. That was your father."

Ven said nothing and she continued.

"I…None of us knew what was going to happen. We didn't know that that dark creature would appear and attack us for just being in the cave. But, I always blamed myself for your passing. I should've never suggested that we go exploring in there. I'm sorry," her mother said.

"It's okay," Nanako told her mother.

A bright light engulfed her and she knew it was time to go. "I'm sorry. I have to move on. I'll see you again, okay?" Nanako told her mother.

She disappeared, her heart heading for Kingdom Hearts. Through tears, Mrs. Narukami said, "Ventus. I'm so sorry for what my husband did. I…If you ever need anything, I'll welcome you back home."

"It's okay. I'll be fine," Ven said.

Mrs. Narukami hugged him and told him, "I care for you like you were my own…So, please. Be careful on your travels…and come back to me every once in a while so I can see that you're okay."

Ven nodded and walked off. The party followed his lead, heading south.

* * *

_This is much different than the previous draft. This time, the Anima will not be used as summons or for summoning. And an OUAT character appears directly to the main heroes: Mr. Rumpelstiltskin. And his role in all this will be explained later._

_-miano53_


	12. Chapter Ten: The Unhappy Return

"_The Notti Imperial Family has ruled the Radiantan Empire for more than 600 years. The first emperor from that family was Xehanort Notti I. Under his rule, the Republic of Shinra, the Balamb, Trabia and Gardenia Gardens and the Kingdom of Wu were all destroyed and incorporated into the growing Empire. The new territories gave the Empire wealth and helped it subjugate more kingdoms and provinces faster than the Sanctum could realize."_

_-Lord Braska on the History of Radiantan Empire_

Chapter Ten: The Unhappy Return

_The Palace of Hollow Bastion, also known as the Phoenix Palace, was busy with the servants putting up decoration and Yuletide trees. Each area of the palace was covered in festive decorations and the servants wore their winter clothing._

_Princess Xion Chiara, who was in her room with her Anima, Chiharu, began practicing with basic elemental spells again. This time, she managed to levitate the tea out of her cup and freeze it. She smiled and the now frozen tea dropped onto the ground. It shattered, leaving a small pile of ice._

_"Yay," she cheered._

_"There you are, Poppet," someone said._

_Knowing who it was, Xion sighed and said, "Why are you here?"_

_The eleven-year-old Vanitas looked at his little sister and his black hawk Anima, Orfeo, glared at her with yellow eyes._

_Vanitas then said, "I'm here 'cause of Yuletide, you should know that." _

_He then moved forward and Xion grabbed a lamp._

_"Violent much?" he asked._

_"You know what you did!" Xion yelled._

_"What? I don't remember," Vanitas said, looking smug._

_"Yes you do!" Xion yelled._

_"I need a refresher…Oh, I remember," he said._

_The flames from Xion's fireplace turned a dark orange color and began to roar. Xion got up from her desk and Vanitas used the fire from the fireplace to cast Fira._

_Xion jumped out of the way and shielded herself with a basic Reflect spell. Vanitas then used Zero Gravity to levitate some of the objects in Xion's room. He then aimed the furniture at her Anima, Chiharu, and Xion screamed, "No!"_

_Just before Vanitas could launch the furniture, a bullet hit his shoulder. "Ow! What the…?" he said looking around._

_"Have you been a good boy?" someone asked._

_A dark corridor appeared in the room and the Imperial Assassin, Xigbar the Freeshooter, appeared. Xigbar's Anima of an owl quickly found the fireplace mantle to perch on. The pair glared at the prince._

_"Oh, it looks like you haven't," he said._

_"What do you want," Vanitas asked him._

_"You're not supposed to be in here. You, kiddo, are supposed to be with Mr. X," Xigbar told him._

"'_Mr.X'? Isn't that disrespectful?" Xion asked._

_Xigbar ignored her question and Vanitas scoffed. He looked back at Xion and said, "Nice seein' ya, lil' bit."_

_He then left. Xion slumped to the ground and Xigbar smirked. _

_"It seems you can use magic," he said._

_"I don't want anyone else to know. Zexion already does…" Xion said._

_"Well, I won't tell. You can show your dad yourself," Xigbar said and disappeared._

_Xion looked sullen and began fixing up her room…_

* * *

_Two weeks ago, Saturday, May 28__th__…_

The 14-year-old Princess Xion Chiara Notti woke up in her room to the sound of people running in the halls. She sighed and looked at her lynx _Anima_, Chiharu. 'He's coming home…' Xion thought.

"Yeah. I'm not happy that Vanitas is coming home too," Chiharu told her.

"Why is he coming back? Dad knows that he hates me. He doesn't hate Xemnas as much as he does me and I don't know why," Xion said.

"Well…maybe he'll be different this time…Uh…Well…it has been three years," Chiharu told her.

A knock at the door took the princess out of her thoughts. A servant told her about the day's schedule and helped her get ready. After changing into suitable attire of a tightly fitted black robe with golden embroidery, Xion left and headed for her deceased mother's library.

As she walked through the halls, she saw servants scurrying about, trying to prepare the palace for her adopted brother's return. Once she arrived in the library, Xion went about, looking for books that would be interesting to read. She had read most of the books in the small library and found all to be quite interesting.

The library was a collection of books on the world's history before an event known as the Keyblade War. The collection was quite rare and valuable as many historians sought after the books. The only downside was that the books were in Old Eblanese and the empire wasn't willing to give up the collection so easily. Thus, Xion was able to keep the books and read them to her heart's content. Over the years, she made translations of the books and kept them in her room, hoping Vanitas wouldn't find them and destroy them.

The princess found a book entitled "Tales of Zanarkand". The book was among the older ones in the collection and Xion hadn't had time to finish translating it. Since she didn't want to be at the welcoming party for Prince Vanitas, the princess found a notepad and pen and resumed her translating of the text.

As she did, the teen found that the text described the lost city of Zanarkand as a place of wonders. Machines, or _machina, _helped their creators in many tasks around the city. The city-state's citizens were avid fans of a sport called blitzball and most were practitioners of what they considered a sacred art: summoning. Summoners, as they were called, called on beasts of yore to fight alongside them in battle, garnering the attention of another city-state called Bevelle.

Finding it odd that the book mentioned the Theocracy of Bevelle, Xion put a note to find out more about Bevelle's history, as the city still existed on the continent of Spira. She was about to continue when someone said, "So…I guess you don't wanna see him."

Xion looked up from the book and saw her fiery red-haired guardian, Axel Fuego. His Retriever _Anima_, Lea, looked at Chiharu and said, "I don't blame you two. He's not exactly the kind type."

"So what? You're hiding out here?" Axel asked.

"No!" Xion yelled.

Axel was taken aback.

"I…I mean. No. I…I just wanted to…" Xion started.

The guardian shook his head and said, "You know, you're a bad liar. I've known you long enough to tell when you're lying…You're quick to snap at people when you do."

Xion said nothing and knew that lying wasn't going to help.

"So, you're here to 'retrieve' me?" she asked.

"Yup. Your brother, _His Highness_, said so," Axel said.

"Which one?" Chiharu asked, jumping into Xion's arms.

"The good one…Or…the one that doesn't want to kill you…Xemnas. Said something about a sparring session with us," Lea answered.

'Oh god no…' Xion thought.

"I'm sure he won't have us do anything hard…like last time…" Chiharu said.

"Well, he did cast us into a realm that had that large mountain forest…that we had to beat that Slender-thing in less than five hours…" Xion told her.

"Yeah…That was fun…" Axel said.

"It was fun to you, but it was scary to me! What is the deal with Xemnas and always having scary training sessions? Even the soldiers don't get it!" Xion yelled.

"Yep. It's like he's not fazed by it."

A dark portal appeared and another of Xion's guardians appeared: Demyx Aquarius. The blonde haired guardian with a koala for an _Anima_ summoned a sitar from the water in the air and found a seat to sit in.

"Well, he really did say that we have to go with you guys in this session. I really just hope that he doesn't summon the 'Slender'…" Demyx said.

"If that 'Slender' guy comes, I'll kill it with fire!" Axel declared.

"Yeah…and we'll all burn to death…" Xion muttered.

* * *

_Phoenix Palace, western training hall, 10 a.m.…_

"And he just had to summon Golden Freddie!" Demyx screamed.

Princess Xion, Axel, Demyx and the third of Xion's guardians, Zexion Ombra, were trembling in fear along with the other practicing soldiers. They had completed Xemnas' horrific trial: finding five orbs while dodging giant, teddy bear-like creatures. The succeeded as Xion and Zexion were the ones to find the orbs while Axel and Demyx were scared out of their minds.

"Seriously, what was the deal with Golden Freddie?" Demyx screamed, trying not to cry.

"I…don't know. The crown prince certainly has a…morbid imagination," Zexion told him, trying to stay calm.

"Well, at least you two weren't like Axel and Lea, screaming 'Don't rip my guts out'," Chiharu noted.

Axel glared, trying to hide his trembling.

"And you cursed every five seconds," Xion added.

"I didn't want that Freddie the Bear to rip my guts out and stuff me in an empty animatronic!" Axel yelled.

The group saw the soldiers leave and they decided to do the same.

"S-So…anyone wanna call it a day?" Axel said, still shaking.

"I'm willing to leave if you are," Demyx said.

"Well…I guess you all can go. I'll go see him," Xion told her guardians.

"Alone?" Demyx asked.

The princess nodded and left the area. As she walked down the palace halls towards the throne room, she felt a sinister presence in the air. Figuring it was Vanitas, the teen decided to cancel her plans on seeing the crown prince and ran back to her room.

* * *

Early the next day, the servants found Xion in her mother's library, wearing nothing but her pajamas. She, while sitting in one of the chairs and looking at the blackboard, was playing on her violin and the instrument produced a haunting melody that was hypnotizing. As they watched, small bursts of light were produced and filled the room with beautiful auras. Remembering what their mission was, the servants walked to the princess.

"Your Highness, what are you wearing," one of them asked.

"My nightwear," Xion replied, still playing.

"Well, His Imperial Majesty expects you to eat with the Imperial Family during breakfast at nine o'clock," the servant said.

Xion said nothing and kept playing. The volume of the violin increased, drowning out the voices of the servants' pleas. Chiharu, replying for Xion, said, "You can go now."

The group left and the princess kept playing. As she played, tears stung her eyes and she began to cry. The violin's volume kept increasing and the auras from it turned into the vivid colors of red and purple. At the song's climax, Xion closed her eyes and didn't notice that the lights being produced by her instrument had now began marking the walls, almost as if they was clawing them. In a fit of anger, Xion played a note loudly, causing for the windows to break.

"So, you still using that lame violin," someone said.

She looked up from her book and saw the Crown Prince enter the room with someone she really didn't want to see: Vanitas. He was wearing a tightly fitted robe similar to the Crown Prince's and wasn't wearing his mask.

"Why?" Chiharu whined.

Xemnas motioned his head for Vanitas to greet Xion and Vanitas begrudgingly walked over to his sister. "Hey there, Poppet," Vanitas said.

"Don't call me 'Poppet'!" Xion yelled.

Orfeo, his hawk _Anima_, perched himself onto a bookshelf near Xion. Chiharu, responding to Xion's anger, began hissing at Orfeo.

"Now, now, that's how you greet me after two years, lil' sis?" Vanitas asked, smiling evilly.

Xion didn't respond. Hearing a growl, Vanitas looked around and saw Nero walking over to Chiharu, as if he was protecting her.

"You know I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm not that cruel," Vanitas said to Xemnas.

Xemnas glared at him and Vanitas reciprocated in kind. The two looked as if they were about to fight when a servant entered the library.

"The Emperor requests of your presence in the Phoenix Gardens, Your Highnesses," the servant told them.

* * *

_In the palace's central garden (the Phoenix Garden)…_

The Imperial Family walked up a large platform that held a table with the Imperial Crest on it. Chairs were stationed at the table for each of them. The largest of the chairs was reserved for the Emperor, Xehanort III. The gardens that surrounded the platform were filled with roses, forget-me-nots, chrysanthemums and violets. Since the garden was within the center of the palace grounds, the outside was not invisible from that location.

Each family member, including the Emperor himself, wore their very best. Though it was breakfast, Imperial etiquette required them to always look their best at any mealtime, special, and visitation occasions. When the Imperial Family, minus the Emperor who was sitting on his outdoor throne, assembled, the Emperor said, "Prince Vanitas has returned to us and the family is together again."

Waving his hand, he gave the order for the Family to sit. They did and the servants quickly brought out their breakfast. Breakfast for them, unlike others, was also their meeting time. Eating a small berry, Xehanort asked, "Who can tell me why we assemble in this garden every Founder's Day? Do any of you know?"

Xion, since she was the bookworm of the family, raised her hand and said, "We assemble in this garden as this was the very spot that our family and the our family's founding father, Emperor Xehanort I, established the current Radiantan Empire and vanquished his enemies."

"Very good. You have studied quite well, Xion," the Emperor said and Xion smiled. She sat down and Xehanort began to explain the purpose of the garden's shape even further.

"The reason for the gardens being in the shape of a Phoenix, as viewed from the skies, is that 500 years before the Empire, the Radiantan Kingdom had a civil war with itself. One side wanted to know more about the Keyblade War. The other wanted to vanquish all knowledge of that time from the annals of our history."

"Our ancestor, one of the ones who wanted to know more about the Keyblade and the War, began a conquest in squashing the idea of destroying our nation's history. He and his supporters won, but the price of that victory cost the nation our capital as well as many of the larger cities that were within the kingdom."

"In honor of the fallen city, flowers were planted at this spot and were arranged in the shape of a phoenix. Now, who can tell me what the Phoenix symbolizes?" Xehanort said.

Once again, Xion raised her hand to reply. "Yes," the Emperor said.

"The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth and renewal. It is also a sign of the Goddess's promise to the World to revitalize it and strengthen it," she answered.

"Very good, child," the Emperor said, pleased that she didn't flinch at Vanitas's death glares.

"The Phoenix was then used as a symbol of the Empire, to inspire those who have fallen and to strengthen those in their search for truth," Xehanort added.

He looked at Vanitas and said, "I've heard that you've managed to improve your grades…That isn't because you threatened to kill them, correct?"

Vanitas shrugged and answered, "Eh…Whatever they said…"

"So you did try to kill them?" Xemnas asked.

Vanitas shrugged nonchalantly again and Xion knew he tried to kill his tutors during his banishment. Their father shook his head and said, "Do not attempt to murder those who is still willing to teach you. You will never go far if you do so."

Xion said nothing as she really didn't want Vanitas to glare at her. Xehanort turned his attention back to Xion and asked, "And how are you going with your studies?"

"I…Um…I've learned to translate most of the books in Mom's old library…and…uh…" Xion started.

Vanitas turned his attention to her and he scowled. He abruptly got up from the table and left. Xion hadn't a clue what she did to make him angry, but hoped that she wouldn't find out for her own safety.

* * *

Later that day, Xion began playing her violin in her mother's old library. The tune was melancholy, but hopeful. Chiharu looked at the book her host was playing from and saw that it was on Old World music. The title of the song was called "Gottessibb" and she had no idea what language it was.

Just like before, Xion's playing caused for wisps of light to appear. The light filled the room and Chiharu saw a figure within the light. The figure was playing on a violin just like Xion and was playing the same tune, but at a lower pitch.

Chiharu was about to say something about it when she heard, "You're back in the library, Poppet? I thought you had to be quite in a library."

Xion turned around and saw Vanitas behind her. He had a wide smirk on his face and she knew something bad was going to happen.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"What? Can't I hang out with my lil' sis every once in a while?" Vanitas asked innocently.

Xion, seeing through his ruse, said, "You're trying to torment me again, aren't you?"

"No why would I do that?" he asked.

"'Cause you're a mean, spiteful sociopath…and…" Chiharu replied.

Vanitas laughed, saying, "Sociopath? I don't know where you get these ideas from."

Chiharu began growling at Orfeo and Orfeo began flapping his wings angrily.

"You know what I'm talking about. You torment me for fun! You destroyed my books, violin and dolls and one time, you destroyed my room!" Xion yelled.

Vanitas laughed, saying, "Oh that was fun."

Chiharu lunged at Vanitas in Xion's anger and attempted to bite him. Vanitas swung his arm at her and knocked her into a nearby bookshelf, hurting Xion. Xion, seeing that he was looming over Chiharu, threw a book at his head. It hit him in the back of the head and Xion leaped into the air to kick him.

Vanitas turned and quickly blocked the attack with his right hand. He smirked and threw her into a nearby bookshelf. Xion crashed into the bookshelf and knocked down several of them in the process.

"Oh? Since when did the lil' Poppet get tough," Vanitas said, taunting Xion.

"Shut up!" she screamed.

Vanitas's smirk went away and was replaced with a scowl. He chanted something under his breath and shot a large Dark Firaga spell at Xion. Xion quickly moved out of the way, only to be clawed in the face by Orfeo.

As Xion dodged more of the Dark Firaga spells with a bloodied face, a part of the library was burned and destroyed. Getting annoyed, Vanitas shot two more dark spells at Xion. Xion dodged the first but was struck in the back by the second, knocking her to the now charred floor.

Walking over to his injured sister, Vanitas summoned his Keyblade. "Well, Father said not to harm her, but…I can ignore orders for now. She's too weak," he said.

He held his Void Gear above her head. He was about to strike her head when a bright light came from Xion's right hand. Vanitas covered his face in an attempt to prevent blindness.

A fushia-Keyblade appeared in Xion's hands. Xion, trying to recover and noticing that Vanitas was distracted by the light, swung her Keyblade at his head. It struck and knocked him and Orfeo unconscious. He fell to the ground with a loud thump and the injured Xion quickly left the library with Chiharu.

* * *

_In Xion's room…_

After the servants cleaned up her injuries and treated them, the princess lied in her bed. She was looking out of the window and sighed with sadness. Due to what happened earlier to the library and the attack on her, she refused to eat dinner or see Xemnas for their usual study sessions. She then sat up in bed, with Chiharu lying on her bed.

She looked at Chiharu with sad eyes and said, "Why did Vanitas attack me like that? He never went that far before."

Chiharu was going to reply when a servant outside of Xion's room announced, "Your Highness, His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, has arrived."

Xion sat up and saw her father enter the room with a legion of servants. One of the servants held a chair in her hands and sat the chair at Xion's bed.

"You may leave us," Xehanort said.

Sitting in the chair, he looked at his daughter's injured face and said, "Did Vanitas do this to you?"

Xion looked away and Xehanort ordered her to look at him. "Did he do this to you?" he asked.

Xion slowly nodded her head and the Emperor looked somewhat disappointed. "And, when he was about to hit me in the head, this happened," Xion said, summoning her Keyblade.

A small smirk appeared on the Emperor's face and he stood up. Xion was confused at her father's behavior and said nothing.

"I shall send a servant to bring you your dinner. I shall also place Vanitas on punishment. He had no right to harm you," the Emperor said, back facing his daughter.

He, with his _Anima_, began walking over to the door when Xion said, "So, you're not mad at me?"

"No, why would I be?" Xehanort said to her.

"Um…N-no reason," Xion said and her father left the room.

Outside of Xion's chambers, Vanitas waited for his father to leave. When the Emperor was close enough, he asked Vanitas, "What do you make of her fighting prowess?"

"She ain't gonna cut it," was all Vanitas said.

"So, you had Orfeo to claw her face. Why?" the Emperor asked him.

"Well, someone's gotta break that loser in. And it was fun," Vanitas replied.

"You are not to harm her again. She is still your sister and I expect you to exercise restraint. We can't have your brother and the others suspect," Xehanort, Sr. said to him.

"You know full well that Junior isn't my brother and Xion's not my sister. So, why should I 'exercise restraint'?" Vanitas said.

"Because you're under my orders. And besides, you're still an Imperial Family member even though you're adopted. You should be grateful that Empress Aoi, rest her soul, convinced me to adopt you," the Emperor said to him, glaring.

The two then left the hallway. Unbeknownst to them, the Crown Prince heard the entire conversation from a distance.

* * *

_Well, the older Xehanort is pretty much Master Xehanort. _

_And for this new draft, Xemnas takes the place of a young Xehanort, or a Xehanort Jr., to avoid confusion. _

_-miano53_


	13. Chapter Eleven: Escape

"_The Phoenix in the Radiantan Empire symbolizes rebirth and the power of the Empire. The Founder's Day Festival celebrates the power of the Phoenix and how the Goddess blessed the Empire to rise from the ashes of civil war."_

_-Master Eraqus Torino on the State of the Radiatan Empire_

Chapter Eleven: Escape

_"A very nice official portrait," was all the Emperor said at first._

_The nine-year-old Xion said nothing, standing in the gallery of the palace. All she did was stare at it, not knowing how an 'official portrait' was supposed to look like. She then looked over and saw her father's, her mother's, Junior's, Vanitas's and…another woman picture. _

_Xion headed over to the portrait and said, "Who's this?"_

_"Oh that…That is…my first wife…before I became emperor," Xehanort replied._

_"Oh, she's Xemnas' mom?" Xion asked._

_The Emperor nodded sadly and left. Xion looked at the portrait and said, "Wow…Is that the reason Father's so…?"_

* * *

About a week after the library incident, Xion watched as Xemnas had place Axel, Demyx and another of their family's guardians, Saïx Lunes, to survive in what looked like an abandoned restaurant. The unarmed trio had to watch for the evil "Golden Freddie" and other monsters Xemnas summoned in the darkened alternate plane. The trio had to stay alive in a security guard's station, complete with cameras, buttons to keep the doors closes and a lone generator.

The object of the five-year-old training session was to survive until time was up by checking the cameras in the security booth for any signs of the "evil teddy bears" and to close the doors when they were too close. The downside was that the generator kept the doors closes. If the generator stopped working, the doors would open, leaving them vulnerable to attack. So, the younger guardians dubbed the session "Five Nights at Freddie's."

To the guardians' horror, the Crown Prince left, leaving them to fend for themselves in the training session. Feeling sorry for them, and because Xemnas gave her command of the area, Xion stayed behind. Due to her not being in the area, but able to watch everything from a sphere of darkness, Xion helped them by telling them where the monsters were if they were in blind spots.

Noticing that Saix wasn't really okay with being in such a place, Axel told him, "You really need to take some relaxation therapy classes."

Saix glared at him with glowing yellow eyes and snarled. His wolverine _Anima, _Isa, joined in the snarling and Demyx added his comments.

"Yeah, you need to get yourself some scented candles or take a nice herbal bath," he said.

Saix ignored him and calmed himself…only to jump as the group heard a sinister laugh.

Axel was about to say something when Saix snarled, "Shut up! Just shut up, Axel, for two seconds!"

"Seriously, smoke some 'herbs'. I don't care. Just relax! It's just a training session," Axel said.

Demyx and Saix stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Uh…I mean…I, Axel Fuego, do not condone the act of smoking such substances…It's in my contract," Axel retracted.

"Well…I guess it's safe to keep the doors open. You guys only have 30% power and five minutes left," Xion said.

Demyx looked at the cameras and said, "I saw something move in the darkness!"

"Don't close the door!" Axel yelled.

"But it's coming!" Demyx screamed, shutting the doors.

The trio saw one of the monsters, called "Freddie" by Demyx, appeared and Demyx screamed, "He's here!"

A few moments later, the power suddenly shut off. Saix, nearly in rage as he never passed that particular training session, ordered, "Don't move. Don't move. Don't even look at him!"

"I'm not moving!" Axel yelled.

"Saix, why are you choking me? I didn't move!" Demyx screamed.

"I'll kill you if you move! I've spent five years trying to beat this training session and I won't let you idiots mess this up for me now!" Saix bellowed, still choking poor Demyx.

The darkness disappeared, allowing for the trio to reappear in the training room. The three cheered, but Saix was more in rage.

"YES! MOTHER ON HIGH! I am the KING…OF FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDIE'S!" he roared.

"Do you want a crown, _Your Majesty_?"

The "joyous" celebrations ended as the light-red haired guardian, Marluxia Acerbi, appeared. His _Anima_ of a coral snake was wrapped around his right arm and scanned the others. Axel wasn't too pleased with his appearance, asking, "What do you want?"

"His Majesty has summoned us...All guardians are to attend the meeting in the throne room," Marluxia said.

He looked at Xion and asked, "And I trust that you will be fine without us?"

"Yes. I'll be fine," Xion told him.

The four disappeared in dark portals, leaving Xion alone in the training room. The princess left the area and headed back to her room. Once there, she headed straight for the books the servants managed to save from the fight with Vanitas a week earlier.

She began to read the book she was translating, Tales of Zanarkand. She resumed where she left of on, the tales of the ancient city-state of Bevelle.

According to the book, Bevelle and Zanarkand weren't at good terms with each other. So much so to the point that the two states warred with each other 1,000 years before the Keyblade War. The war was dubbed the Great Machina War and was only stopped by the appearance of a dark, lupine beast.

Xion tried to find the name of the creature, but the name was scratched out, as if the author didn't want their readers to know. All she knew was that someone called an "avatar" was named Junpei Miyamoto, a man from Eblan and that he summoned the dark creature.

Zanarkand and Bevelle joined forces, ridding the world of his menace. The nations were relatively amiable, as a group called the Brethren Court ordered it.

Wanting to know more about the Brethren Court, Xion went through the tomes and items the servants had salvaged. She found a box of spherical crystals and an old machine. Chiharu looked at it and said, "What is it? Looks old."

"I wonder…" Xion said.

She placed on of the spheres in the circular machine's recess. To her surprise, an image burst forth from the sphere, changing her room to that of a massive stadium. A giant robot with drums and cymbals surrounding it was in the center and a woman stood on a platform on top of it. The crowd cheered loudly and Xion saw that people holding guitars and other instruments stood on flying platforms.

Flying spotlights filled the air, lighting up what seemed to be the stage. The brown haired woman, wearing a kimono, reacted to the audience's applause and Xion thought that the woman looked…familiar.

The music started and the language was rather…odd. Xion could barely understand it as it sounded like a mixture of Eblanese and Saronian. The woman walked forward on the stage and twirled, magically changing her outfit to that of a songstress' attire.

Xion found herself humming to the tune, despite her never hearing it before. The songstress then used magic to summon dancing ice dolls. The dolls danced with her as she sung, making the audience cheer even louder.

What shocked Xion most was that she started to sing with it.

"_And if I find the real without the emotion has surrounded me, and I can't go on…You are there, the moment that I close my eyes, you comfort me…"_ Xion sung in Radiantan.

"Huh? Since when could you understand it?" Chiharu asked.

"I don't know, but it feels like I know that song," Xion replied.

The song ended and the audience chanted, "Lenne! Lenne! Lenne!"

'Lenne? That's the singer's name?' Xion thought.

She shut off the sphere as she heard someone coming. The princess quickly put the tomes and spheres away and hid under her bed. The door opened and she saw two servants come in.

"Huh? Where is she?" one asked.

"Well, her father wants to see her…I guess we can say that she's not in her room…" the second said.

"I don't blame her for not showing her face for a week. Vanitas did do a number on it by clawing her in the face," the first servant said.

"Do you think the Emperor will use her and Vanitas to forge the _X-_blade? The two do hate each other," the second asked.

"Shh, you know that's a secret," the first said.

"Well, do you know when?" the latter asked.

"I dunno, but when it's forged, the Empire will be able to take the World by storm," the first servant said.

"So, does she know?" the second asked.

"I don't think so…" the former said.

Shocked, Xion kept silent and waited for the servants to leave. After they closed the door behind them, the princess revealed herself. Taking out a book on local folklore and legends that was among the salvaged tomes, she began checking the book on the _X_-blade. Much to her dismay, there was only one paragraph on it.

Reading it, the book stated, "The _X-_blade, pronounced either Key-blade or Kai-blade, is the true Keyblades that can open up the legendary place, Kingdom Hearts. It can be forged by pitting a heart of light and a heart of darkness against each other…or by gathering 13 hearts of darkness and the seven hearts of light. When Kingdom Hearts open, a great power will come forth and one will be able to meet the Goddess in Her Holy Realm."

Xion, horrified, closed the book. "So, Father's trying to meet the Goddess?" she asked.

"Yeah, but why? And how? Doesn't the thing say that they need both a heart of light and dark to fight each other? Or those people? And isn't finding Kingdom Hearts a bad idea?" Chiharu asked, looking at the book.

"You think so? Maybe he'll have Princess Xion fight him," Xion overheard someone outside her room say.

"Why?" the second voice asked.

"Because her heart is purer than Xemnas's. Do you know all the stuff he did to keep her safe?" a third replied.

"I only heard a few rumors, but…" the first voice told them.

Xion's eavesdropping was interrupted when she sensed a familiar presence in the room. She turned to see Zexion. His _Anima_ of a black cat came from behind him, looking at Xion with haunting blue eyes filled with worry.

"So, you've heard them talking?" the _Anima _asked.

"Yes. But, Zexion, what is the X-Blade? What does that have to do with me or Xemnas?" Xion asked.

"I was afraid of this," Zexion told her.

"What?" Chiharu asked.

"I was told to tell you when you were more aware of what is happening. Your father is planning to use either you or the Crown Prince to help him forge the X-blade," Zexion said.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Xion asked.

"Well, you could fight Vanitas or you could run. I would suggest you run," Zexion said to her.

"Why?" Chiharu asked.

"I don't want to see you get hurt..." Zexion replied.

Xion looked terrified. Zexion shrugged his shoulders and disappeared into darkness.

"If I fight him…" Xion muttered.

"Vanitas will kill us!" Chiharu yelled.

Panicking, Xion rapidly pulled clothes out of her closet and began stuffing them in a suitcase. She stopped when Chiharu yelled, "Wait, isn't this what Father will suspect? Shouldn't we wait until he does?"

"You're right. But I don't want to stay if Vanitas plans to kill me," Xion told her _Anima_.

"Oh…What to do…?" Chiharu muttered.

* * *

_Later in the Phoenix Gardens…_

The men of the Imperial Family, all wearing black and silver suits, waited patiently for the princess. After about an hour of waiting, Vanitas leaned on a nearby banister and said, "Can't we start without her? She's taking too long."

Xehanort looked ahead and called out, "Axel!"

Axel appeared via dark corridor and responded with, "'Sup?"

"Find Xion and tell her that she's late," the emperor ordered.

"'Kay. But don't say anything if she doesn't come 'cause of 'giving-me-a-death-glare' Vanitas over there," Axel said, disappearing.

* * *

In Xion's room, the princess had changed her mind and was stuffing as many clothes and necessary items into a bag. She changed her clothes into the dark cloaks worn by the Imperial Guardians and hid her good luck charm, a golden necklace with a phoenix pendant, under her clothes. The princess opened the window and saw that the summer night was rather beautiful.

Those thoughts ended after she looked down and saw that it was a 50 foot fall if she wasn't careful.

"Are you sure we can make it?" Chiharu asked.

"Yup," Xion said and placed Chiharu in her bag.

"Just stay in there and we'll make it," she added and jumped out of the window.

She landed on one of the roofs and, using one of the inherit abilities from the Notti clan, jumping from roof to roof like a feline.

* * *

The servants, wondering what took Xion so long, opened up the door to find her not there and the window open. They screamed and was about to rush back to the gardens to tell the emperor when Axel stopped them.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Uh…Sir Axel…and Lea…The princess isn't in her room and her window's open!" a servant cried out.

"She may have been kidnapped! Oh, what do we do? Oh, what do we do?" another yelled.

Axel, feeling that Xion's behavior was a bit odd, told them, "I'll bring her back. Wait here and don't tell the emperor."

"Okay," the two said.

Axel, using similar abilities to Xion, jumped out the window and followed on the rooftops.

* * *

Xion, still leaping from roof to roof, suddenly stopped when she saw someone jumped over her and land gracefully on the rooftop.

"Axel…" she said sadly.

Leaping towards him, she expected to fight him. Instead, Axel didn't try to fight or go in a battle stance.

"Hey there, Xion. Why are you leaving?" Axel said to her.

"I…I can't stay…They…My father is going to use Vanitas to kill me! I thought he loved me!" Xion yelled

"Well…I don't know about all that, but I gotta bring you back…no matter what," Axel told her.

He summoned his chakrams and Xion summoned an ice shard to her hands.

"So, you're not letting me escape, even though I may be killed to forge that _X-_blade?" she asked him.

"I really don't think that'll happen…But, I really have to bring you back…Sorry," Axel told her.

He threw his chakrams at Xion's head in an attempt to knock her unconscious. Xion dodged and jumped in the air. She landed behind Axel and swiped at him. Axel moved out of the way, but part of his uniform was cut by the ice shard.

The Imperial Guardian then summoned two small fires and aimed them at Xion. The princess blocked the attacks with a simple Reflect spell. Axel saw this and swiped at Xion. She dodged and, much to Axel's shock, kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over and Xion hit him in the back of the head, effectively ending the battle.

"I'm so sorry, Axel," she said and continued her trek.

* * *

After leaving the palace, Xion was in the Hollow Bastion proper. The princess walked around for about an hour, trying to find the docks. She found it and saw troops running throughout the port, as if they were looking for someone.

Chiharu poked her head out of the duffle bag and said, "Well, maybe Father gave the order to find us and stop us."

"Well, we just have to make sure that we're not seen," Xion said, looking around.

The two were about to leave when someone said, "You're leaving?"

Xion turned around and saw Demyx. He had a worried look on his face and the princess pleaded, "Please don't take me back!"

"Well…orders are orders…but…You were the one that knocked out Axel, right?" Demyx said.

Xion nodded and Demyx said, "Okay. I won't fight you then. But…why are you leaving?"

"I…I can't stay. Zexion said that I could either fight Vanitas or run. So, I chose run…There's no way I can fight him and forge that _X-_blade without getting killed. And I'm sure Father will understand," Xion told him.

"I dunno…but as long as you come back, it's okay with me," Demyx told her.

Xion smiled and thanked the water-wielding guardian. He then told her about a ship that was leaving port soon. After giving the princess directions, Demyx told her, "I won't tell anybody…unless you promise me more vacation days."

"Okay, fine. When it's safe to come back, I'll let you have five more vacation days," Xion said.

"Sweet! Okay, see ya!" Demyx cheered, disappearing in darkness.

With Demyx's directions, Xion found a rather large ship that was in the color schemes of red and black. The name on the back was that of "The Queen Anne's Revenge". Sailors of all sorts were boarding the ship and a man in black with a monkey for an _Anima_ stood were the ship's entrance was.

When Xion was close enough, he asked, "And who ya be?"

"Uh…Xi…I mean…Chiharu…" Xion replied.

"'Chiharu'? Odd name…What do ya want?" the man asked.

"It is polite to tell someone your name after they have given yours," Xion told him.

The man smirked and said, "Captain Hector Barbossa, current privateer in the service of His Majesty, Emperor Xehanort III…"

He looked at Xion closely and said, "I be not tellin' if ya don't."

"W-What do you mean?" Xion asked.

"Yer accent…Manners and clothes tell me ya from the palace…" Captain Barbossa told her.

Xion sighed and said, "I…I just can't stay. Just take me away from here. I'll pay you as much as you want."

"There be no need."

The two saw a dark-skinned woman wearing a yellow dress walk down the ship's ramp. She looked at Xion and then at Captain Barbossa.

"We be takin' this girl to Eden. She be safe there," the woman said.

"Tia Dalma, why?" Captain Barbossa asked.

"She be one of them…" Tia Dalma told him.

Captain Barbossa scanned Xion and said, "I thought ye be a bit…taller, more imposing."

With that, the ship's crew and Xion boarded the ship and took off for the Eden continent.

* * *

_The next day, palace throne room…._

Xehanort summoned Vanitas into the throne room. The boy wore his usual attire of black and red, but was puzzled as to why he was wearing his mask. He then summoned two of his guardians, Marluxia and a blonde haired woman.

The blonde-haired guardian named Larxene Éclair looked at his son and asked, "So this is Vanitas? He looks like Freddy Kruger now."

"Shut up," Vanitas said and saw the woman's _Anima_ of a golden monkey.

Larxene's _Anima_ growled at Orfeo and Orfeo raised his wings as if he wanted to attack. Marluxia shook his head and his _Anima_ slithered around the room. After the three were formally introduced, the emperor told them why he called them.

"As we all know, the princess, Xion, has ran away. We don't know why, but you two are to go and bring her back, seeing as Axel and Demyx have failed," Xehanort said to them.

"Well, she ran away. Not my problem," Larxene said.

"Poppet only ran 'cause she's scared," Vanitas added.

"And I really don't remember signing up to be 'Imperial Fetcher'. I thought that was Axel's job," Marluxia said.

Tired of the backtalk, Xehanort told them, "If you do, I'll see to it that you're paid overtime."

Now willing to do the mission, Marluxia and Larxene bowed and left the throne room, their _Anima _following them.

Once they were gone, Xehanort told Vanitas, "And you will not go after Xion. You are to find the Keybearers that left the Kilika Islands. From what I've heard from Xigbar, they arrived on the Saronia continent a week ago. Take this as permission to invade Traverse Town."

With that order, Vanitas left.


End file.
